It has taken me a long time to think of myself as a writer, even though three years ago, I was hired to be one. But after my first week of work, I decided it would be too hard and instead took the "easier" (but not, just more familiar) route of being an editor. The book I always thought I would write stays in my head, and other ideas for novels never get written down.
But lately, since leaving the actual world of publishing and starting down a different career path, I realize that while I may not fit into the definition of writer I have in my head, I sure do a lot of writing, including what you read here on my blog. But here are some excerpts of other projects I've been working on lately, which maybe explains why posting has been so sporadic!
Wedding Graduate Post: I submitted a wedding graduate post to my favorite wedding/marriage blog, A Practical Wedding. Here's my favorite part from it--if it ends up getting posted, you'll be able to read the whole thing:
It’s been almost a year since the wedding, and I learn something about marriage every day. Marriage is not about colors, registries, a pretty dress, delicious food, and spectacular photography. Marriage is about two people joining their lives together
and committing to each other, and it requires an open mind and heart, compromise, dedication, love, and the willingness to accept someone, all of someone, for who they are. Sometimes you don’t even need a wedding to have that.
Toastmasters Speech #1: For those of you who don't know, I started doing Toastmasters to help with my public speaking. It's been very rewarding so far, and while I was not quite sold on the idea at first, I really love it now. I had my first speech a week ago, and while I need to work on pacing, it went really well. I did not follow the manual and start with an "icebreaker," but instead did a speech that I could use while speaking from a campaign. I used the theme of a $100 bill throughout, which tied into a story I told about my high school graduation day.
On the day of my high school graduation, the superintendent of Littleton Public Schools taped a 100 dollar bill to the bottom of one lucky student’s chair as a way of demonstrating success. Although I was not the recipient of said 100 dollar bill, I remember thinking that 100 dollars was a LOT of money and there were so many things I could do with it.
Toastmasters Speech #2: This was the speech I was working on before I did my practice work speech. It's the traditional first speech, called an icebreaker, about yourself, so other members can get to know you. Everyone says this one is easier, but I have to admit, I find it difficult to write about myself. This is my intro, and it's currently all I have written, but because this topic fits into the blog a little better than the first speech I gave, I'll definitely share it when I'm done.
The written word has always been a huge part of my life. That doesn’t necessarily mean that I’m a great speller, I have a fantastic vocabulary, or that I could take you down in a game of scrabble. No—instead, it means that as an avid reader and writer and former yearbook editor, English and journalism major, and magazine editor, I have chosen to let the written word dominate my life, if you will. And so, I think the best way for all of you to get to know me is through some words that I think best describe me.
Let’s start with the nouns. I am currently a wife, crazy dog lady, homeowner, and part-time fundraiser. I am also a daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece, and cousin—and you can add in-law to most of that, too. I have been a Coloradan, a Goddard Rocket, a Littleton Lion, and a sorority girl. I am a friend. And I will always be a Nebraska Cornhusker.
But as I’ve moved from different states and different schools and had different jobs, I’ve learned that it’s the adjectives that really make me who I am. And while we're on the topic of writing, there's an article in my Toastmasters magazine that talks about speechwriting, and I think this part applies to all writing. It's what I find myself stuck on doing, and even did it while writing this post:
"Speechwriters say it's important to discipline yourself to write a first draft all the way through without getting too self-critical at this stage of the process. All good speechwriting, it seems, is rewriting. And until you have enough words on the screen and have let your copy 'go cold' for a sufficient amount of time, you can't effectively return to start honing, reorganizing, or 'wordsmithing' your content." --Speechwriting Tips From The Pros, by Dave Zielinksi, Toastmaster July 2011
Definitely something to important as we start, and complete, projects, writing or otherwise.
But lately, since leaving the actual world of publishing and starting down a different career path, I realize that while I may not fit into the definition of writer I have in my head, I sure do a lot of writing, including what you read here on my blog. But here are some excerpts of other projects I've been working on lately, which maybe explains why posting has been so sporadic!
Wedding Graduate Post: I submitted a wedding graduate post to my favorite wedding/marriage blog, A Practical Wedding. Here's my favorite part from it--if it ends up getting posted, you'll be able to read the whole thing:
It’s been almost a year since the wedding, and I learn something about marriage every day. Marriage is not about colors, registries, a pretty dress, delicious food, and spectacular photography. Marriage is about two people joining their lives together
and committing to each other, and it requires an open mind and heart, compromise, dedication, love, and the willingness to accept someone, all of someone, for who they are. Sometimes you don’t even need a wedding to have that.
Toastmasters Speech #1: For those of you who don't know, I started doing Toastmasters to help with my public speaking. It's been very rewarding so far, and while I was not quite sold on the idea at first, I really love it now. I had my first speech a week ago, and while I need to work on pacing, it went really well. I did not follow the manual and start with an "icebreaker," but instead did a speech that I could use while speaking from a campaign. I used the theme of a $100 bill throughout, which tied into a story I told about my high school graduation day.
On the day of my high school graduation, the superintendent of Littleton Public Schools taped a 100 dollar bill to the bottom of one lucky student’s chair as a way of demonstrating success. Although I was not the recipient of said 100 dollar bill, I remember thinking that 100 dollars was a LOT of money and there were so many things I could do with it.
Toastmasters Speech #2: This was the speech I was working on before I did my practice work speech. It's the traditional first speech, called an icebreaker, about yourself, so other members can get to know you. Everyone says this one is easier, but I have to admit, I find it difficult to write about myself. This is my intro, and it's currently all I have written, but because this topic fits into the blog a little better than the first speech I gave, I'll definitely share it when I'm done.
The written word has always been a huge part of my life. That doesn’t necessarily mean that I’m a great speller, I have a fantastic vocabulary, or that I could take you down in a game of scrabble. No—instead, it means that as an avid reader and writer and former yearbook editor, English and journalism major, and magazine editor, I have chosen to let the written word dominate my life, if you will. And so, I think the best way for all of you to get to know me is through some words that I think best describe me.
Let’s start with the nouns. I am currently a wife, crazy dog lady, homeowner, and part-time fundraiser. I am also a daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece, and cousin—and you can add in-law to most of that, too. I have been a Coloradan, a Goddard Rocket, a Littleton Lion, and a sorority girl. I am a friend. And I will always be a Nebraska Cornhusker.
But as I’ve moved from different states and different schools and had different jobs, I’ve learned that it’s the adjectives that really make me who I am. And while we're on the topic of writing, there's an article in my Toastmasters magazine that talks about speechwriting, and I think this part applies to all writing. It's what I find myself stuck on doing, and even did it while writing this post:
"Speechwriters say it's important to discipline yourself to write a first draft all the way through without getting too self-critical at this stage of the process. All good speechwriting, it seems, is rewriting. And until you have enough words on the screen and have let your copy 'go cold' for a sufficient amount of time, you can't effectively return to start honing, reorganizing, or 'wordsmithing' your content." --Speechwriting Tips From The Pros, by Dave Zielinksi, Toastmaster July 2011
Definitely something to important as we start, and complete, projects, writing or otherwise.
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