Write Well Me

What Dawn Is Reading Today - 4/27/07

If you're new to Write Well Me, read this to understand why I tell you what I'm reading.  :-)

There are three books in the Dragonriders of Pern series.  I mentioned that I was reading the first, Dragonflight a couple of weeks ago.  Well, I finished that one in two days, and then I had to wait to get to the bookstore to get the next one.  (Yeah, I could have ordered it from Amazon, but I thought I could make it to a bookstore sooner.  What did I know?)

I did make it to the bookstore, and I got the next two books in the series:  Dragonflight and The White Dragon.

I'm really trying to chew my words slowly and thoughtfully and not rush through this one. 

But don't count on it.  Expect another "What Dawn Is Reading Today" soon!

King Tut? Nope, nowhere to be found.

Last weekend we went up to Philadelphia to see the King Tut exhibit at the Franklin Institute.  I had been looking forward to the exhibit because I never saw it when it traveled the United States 25+ years ago.  It's been touted as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and as Philadelphia was only two and a half hours away, seeing Tut was pretty attainable.

Now, when you think of King Tut, what do you think of?  You think of the sarcophagus that housed his remains, yes?  Yeah, me, too.  I'm thinking big, golden coffin.  It's the image you see everywhere:  the golden figure holding the crook and the flail. 

Was it anywhere in the exhibit?

Nope.

Now, I will say that there was a miniature version of the sarcophagus in the exhibit, a "coffinette" that held the remains of King Tut's viscera. 

But no big golden sarcophagus.

Now why did my family and I pay $100 to go see it?  Well, I really did think it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and while I didn't consciously think about whether the sarcophagus was there, I expected it to be there.  It never occurred to me that it wouldn't be.  (And notice how all the advertising language carefully avoids talking about the sarcophagus.)

In truth, the image we associate most often with King Tut IS that image of the coffinette above.  If you go to the King Tut exhibit website, you'll see the caption on the side of the photo that reads, "Canopic Coffinette of Tutankhamun." 

I have to say that were disappointed to get to the end and no big Tut sarcophagus.  Now, we did see a sarcophagus from some great grandmother or so.  That was stunning, and she had just been an in-law or something. 

Sigh.  Imagine if we'd been able to see the real thing.

Ah, but I do go on.  The exhibit was worthwhile, and I'm glad we got to see it.  I just wish my expectations had been in line with the actual exhibit.

For a glimpse of the exhibit (and some stunning graphics work), go to the exhibit preview, and mouse around the exhibit galleries.  For more information about the discovery of Tut's sarcophagus, click here.

And if you decide to go see it for yourself, now you know what to expect.  No big Tut.  Just little Tut.

 

Revisiting the Number Issue

Back in September I wrote about the rules of spelling out numbers.  Several of you commented on what you were taught or referenced style manuals for information.

The pesky issue rises again!  This time Jakob Nielsen addresses the topic.  I'd like to point you all to a section of his article simply because it confirms my own belief that you should write out numbers from one to ninety-nine:

Traditional copywriting style guides for print publications dictate that you spell out many numbers. For example, The Chicago Manual of Style says to spell out:

    * "whole numbers from one through ninety-nine;"
    * any of these numbers "followed by hundred, thousand, hundred thousand, million, and so on;"
    * round numbers;
    * very big numbers (millions, billions, etc.); and
    * numbers that appear as the first word in a sentence.

(Now the point of Jakob's article is that when writing for the web, you may want to deviate from these rules for print in order to get your readers' eyes to stop - their eyes are more likely to stop at a numeral rather than the word version.  I'm just using his article to point out my original assertion.)

Thanks to Meryl for for pointing us to the article - and reminding us that we may not always need to stop our readers' eyes.

What Does This Word Mean To You? Part II

On  Wednesday, I asked you what your definition of the word "bail" is as in the sentence, "I bailed on the meeting Friday."

(If you're not caught up on the discussion, you may want to review everyone's comments here.)

This came up for me earlier this week during instant messaging with Stacy.  We were talking about the AssistU Travel and Learn cruise to Alaska we're planning for 2008.  Knowing that I've never taken a cruise before, am deathly afraid of deep water, and won't go near movies like Open Water, she asked me if I was planning on going on the cruise.

I told her that I've always wanted to go to Alaska and if I were to go on a cruise, Alaska seems the safest (land is always in sight).  Now since we've talked about this cruise for a couple of years, and I've always stated my intentions of going, I thought my answer was good enough.

Evidently not.

Stacy IM's me with "On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being 'none,' and 10 being 'for sure,' rate the likelihood that, at the last minute, you'll bail on the cruise."

I immediately picked up the phone and said, "What's with the bitchy language?" in my own bitchy tone of voice.

I was pretty offended.  See, I am very responsible (good or bad - it's how I'm wired), and in my world, to "bail" means to shirk your responsibilities.  If I make a commitment, especially something like an AssistU Travel and Learn event that we've been planning for years, that commitment stays made.  The idea that Stacy didn't know that about me, or, worse yet, knew it and would still question my commitment, really bothered me. 

Now, does that mean that I'll never change my mind?  No, but for me there's a difference between saying, "I'll get that to you next week," and then choosing not to because it's better for me not to and making a commitment that everyone's counting on me making and not doing that thing.  I've never bailed on anything really important.

How does the story end?  Stacy, as gracious as ever, said, "I didn't mean it that way, but I hear that it landed that way for you.  I'll fix it."  And we did.

For Stacy, "to bail" meant to decide not to do something that you were going to do.  Boom.  That's it.  No emotion or judgment tied to it.

What this all really means, aside from the fact that one shouldn't use "Dawn" and "bail" in the same sentence and expect to not piss me off, is that words are not objective.  We attach emotions to them.  Now, Stacy and I were able to fix this with a really quick phone call (seven minutes), but with written words, we don't always have access to the author to get his or her intended meaning.  As writers, we need to be aware, generally, that words have connotations over and above (or hidden below) their actual OED meanings.  Of course, we're never going to be able to anticipate every reader's reaction to every word.  We just need to be aware that words are loaded with meaning.  What it means to you may not be what it means to me. 

Spending My Online Time

I'm so excited!  This is the first "tag" I've ever received.

"I'd like to thank the Academy, my grandparents, my best friend Stacy, and, of course, my husband Chris.  Without their unfailing support, as well as that of others, I could have never..."

You mean it's not an award?  It's just a "tag-you're-it kind of thing" and not a "wow, your blog is the greatest" thing?

Oh.

I can live with that!  :)

Gloria from The Virtual Wire tagged me, so here goes:

This game for bloggers is about: 

1. Naming the person who tagged you in your next blogging post.


2. Answering the question:  Where are your two favorite places to hang out online?  Of course, provide appropriate links, too.


3. Then, tagging two more fellow-bloggers you know.  Both of them -- now being told, "you're it" – will run to their blogs and write posts accordingly -- enriching our lives with tons of new places to explore!

My supreme answers:

1.  The fabulous Gloria tagged me.   A regular columnist on TVW, Gloria writes about a variety of things, from passion to left-handedness.

2.  My two favorite places to hang out online are the AssistU forum, with one of the best examples of community I know, and the various blogs I read.  I know that second isn't specific, but it is where the second half of my time online is spent.  A close third will end up being the Writing Essentials Program class library and forum I've just created.  I can see that as Write Well U grows and we have more classes and programs, I'll be spending a ton of time there.

3.  I tag Stacy (way too easy, I know) and Laura of Cafe Entrepreneur.

Enjoy!

What Does This Word Mean To You?

(This is Part I of a two-part series.  Look for Part II on Friday.)

Without looking it up, what does the word "bail" mean to you as in "I bailed on the meeting Friday"?

I'm interested in your definition as well as your connotation (meaning how you feel with regards to this word) of "bail."

It only takes a minute to respond (well, before you have to enter the security verification code to keep away evil spammers), so please do so!  Your responses will make Part II that much more relevant!

What I've Learned From Grandma and Creating Write Well U - Part II

As I've been creating Write Well U and contemplating how I got from there to here (there being the rest of my life, and here being today), I always go back to that belief system that there's a reason for everything.

I spent five wonderful years being a virtual assistant, and I really did love it.  Then why did I close my practice and fire my clients?  Because I wasn't passionate about working with my clients anymore, and virtual assistance works the best when there's passion in the client-VA relationship.  I wanted to take what I learned and apply it to MY stuff, not my clients'.  Selfish?  I don't think so.  It was just a change in passion and direction.

I did learn a ton of stuff from being a virtual assistant and helping my clients be even more successful.  Here's a smidgeon of what I learned and its impact on Write Well U:

• I learned how to create and manage forums.  For Write Well U, I had to find a way for students to share information with the rest of the class before the next session.  Rather than sending the information to me and me posting up on a website, a forum that runs itself was the answer.  Setting one up using phpBB was pretty easy since I had done it before for a client.
• I learned how to create private student areas.  Sure, this might be a simple task of password-protecting a website directory (which is another thing I've learned how to do), but it's also seeing how such a private area works in real life.  We now have a Class Library that only registered students can access and get all the information they need.
• I've learned the importance of processes.  As a VA, I created policies and procedures documents for each of my clients.  These policies and procedures manuals documented usernames and passwords, how to do certain tasks critical to the client's business, and any other information pertinent to that business.  As soon as I started Write Well U, I kept track of how we do certain things so that anyone, like my fabulous VA Allison, could step right in and do them.
• I've learned the importance of asking for help.  (And I'm still learning that one.)  You can't do it all, and you shouldn't (see the next bullet point).
• You can't - and shouldn't - do it all yourself.  You might be able to things, but that doesn't mean you should.  You might not know how to do some things, but that doesn't mean you should spend the time figuring out how.  Wisely spend your time doing the things that only you in your business can do, and get a fabulous VA to do the rest.  Go to AssistU to find such a wonderful creature.
• I really understand the impact a VA can have on a client's business.  It was that impact I felt as a VA for my clients, and I wanted that same thing in my life.  My VAs don't just do "stuff"; they contribute in deep, positive, meaningful ways.
• I've learned to feel positive about what I do.  My clients each had something wonderful to offer the world - we all do.  So do I.
• Be willing to say "This thing I've created is great!"  And believe it.  And not let the fear keep you back.

What have you learned?

What I've Learned From Grandma and Creating Write Well U

Today is the first day of my "full release" (if you consider the last class was a beta class, then it makes sense that I continue the programming metaphor) Writing Essentials Program.  At times, I've been a little scared:  "Am I really doing a good job"  "Can I really do this?"  "Is the curriculum in the right order?"  "Is this really going to help people become stronger writers?"

As I got more into the details, I got more excited.   What I've created is beautiful.  The Writing Essentials Notebook, for example, is 113 pages.  With the help of my VA, Allison, we've made the Notebook a tool that's incredibly useful as well as pleasing to look at.  In addition, I've created a Class Library and a forum, and although aesthetics aren't everything, it is nice to see all these different pieces coming together in a cohesive unit.

As a matter of fact, I sent my grandmother (who is the quintessential grammarian) the link to the Class Library, and she was inspired. Here's what she said, "I am overwhelmingly impressed!  What a lot of work you have put into the course. It is so impressive.  Don't want to be redundant but I just had to. Thanks so much for sending me the web address.  It all makes me want to take the course!  I have made a note of it so I can look at it whenever I want.  HOWEVER it makes me very conscious of my grammar etc when I write to you.  But that's not a bad thing (I guess)."

Pretty neat to get such kudos from Grandma.  :)

What I've realized going through this process is that even if (and when) I'm scared, I just need to press on.  If I stand around and let my fear get to me, I won't move.  It's moving on despite the fear that's true courage (and I think I got that from a movie, but I couldn't tell you which one).

Then, of course, when your Grandma says she likes it, well, it must be pretty good.  :)

Relax and Allow Your Life to Flow

After hearing me break down on our What's Next? coaching call, Vicky sent me a link to this article. 

It was exactly what I needed to hear, er, read.  Sure, I may need to work hard to get everything done, but what gets done is exactly what needed to get done.  If something doesn't make the final deadline, the world will not end, and my class will not blow up.

I was able to see a difference between working hard and pushing myself relentlessly.  When I was in the DO phase of my life, I pushed myself at every turn.  I have extreme depths of strength, and I'd use them all up until there was nothing left, without realizing it.

I realize I can work hard and not drive myself into the ground.  I'm allowing what will and focusing on what I want - there's that attraction principle again (and I still haven't watched The Secret).

 

Work, Laundry, and Not Working

My Write Well U guinea pig class ended on March 19, and I had exactly four weeks to prepare for the next session.  During those first two weeks, I found myself incredibly stressed and overwhelmed. Yeah, it might have been a guinea pig class for which I created the content and delivered it, but, man, was there a ton of changes and ideas I wanted to incorporate into the curriculum.  Then there was the website and forum and class documents and finding an on-line collaborative tool and research and website design and applying for a TIN...

And that's only the list for Wednesday.  :-)

After breaking down in my What's Next? coaching session, I had to come to terms with all the work I needed to do.  Stacy advised me to work more and play less, an idea I was immediately resistant to.  I've worked so hard to go from a Do, Do, Do life (okay, that either sounds like a song or dog poop) to a Be, Be, Be life.  I don't want to go back there.  Stacy's reasoning is that it would be short-lived (only two weeks until April 16!), and sometimes you gotta to do what you gotta do.

I threw myself into Write Well U and with the help of my VA, got a ton of stuff done.  I gave Chris a warning:  "I have to work a lot in the next two weeks.  I have a lot to get done and a deadline."  He was initially pleased.  "Oooooh, if you get to work more, you won't bitch at me for working too hard."

So I planned to work and work and work.  Then it's Thursday, and we've just gotten the kids into bed.  Just as we do every night, Chris and I figure out what we're going to do that evening (the answers vary:  play a game, watch a movie, read, work on puzzles).  However, tonight, if Chris just wants to watch t.v., I'm not interested.  Work sounds like more fun, and I'd rather do that than just watch t.v. (tonight anyway).  When I say this to Chris, he's not very happy with me.  During this exchange, he has a load of clean laundry, and he tells me, "Right now, you're going to fold this laundry with me."  It wasn't a request.

Now, normally I'd get pretty excited over my husband forcing me to fold laundry with him (or maybe throwing me down on top of the laundry... but this isn't that kind of blog), but I wasn't too happy with him not letting me work.  "I told you I need to work a lot during these two weeks.  It's only two weeks!"

He didn't seem impressed.  He knew how hard I've worked in the last year to overcome my addiction to Doing, and he was worried that I'd easily slip back into a Do, Do, Do mode (still sounds either musical or disgusting).  As with any time that I'm resistant, it usually means that I'm avoiding something or don't want to face something.

I took a good look at what I'd been doing.  It truly WAS important to me that work not overtake my whole life.  I had it planned out; I would work Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday on Write Well U, and that would mostly be it for the weekend.  And that's really how it ended up.  I've gotten most of the stuff done that needed to be done before the 16th, and now it's just a matter of polishing. 

What I've created is incredible and beautiful, and I'm truly proud to bring it to the world. And I've been able to do it balancing working really hard and still living a life of Being.

Anyone for a load of laundry?   

I Almost Did It, But I Resisted

I really like how robust the TypePad blogging platform is.  I just check off boxes to include the data I want it to include.  I go to another screen to tell Typepad what order I want the information in.  All in all, it's a very easy tool to use.

One of those nifty sections I automatically checked to include is the Archive section.  You look at the Archives section, and under is a link to the last ten months.  You click on a month, and lo and behold, all the posts in that month appear.  Like magic, it were!

Well, now that I've been blogging for more than ten months (yay Dawn!), the first months aren't showing up on the months list under the Archives category.  As someone who reads many blogs, I want the option to read everything the blogger has written.  If some of that content doesn't show up in an archive, I don't know it's there.  I didn't want that to happen to people who come to Write Well Me for the first time, so I had to find a way to fix it.

I like having the link to the Archives as well as a separate section for Categories. I played around with TypePad's archiving options, and I wasn't able to find a way to keep the Categories and include all the months I've been blogging.

Finally, I decided to just create a new TypeList (another way of saying section headers in TypePad lingo) and link to the Archives page that way.  In creating a TypeList, I'm able to write whatever text I want to describe a link.

Here's what I wrote (and you can check it out for yourself on the right):  "Archived Write Well Me from May 2006 to right now."

Do you know how hard it was NOT to write "Archived Write Well Me from May 2006 to write now"?

What Dawn Is Reading Today - 4/9/07

If you're new to Write Well Me, read this to understand why I tell you what I'm reading.  :-)

I enjoyed Dragons: The Greatest Stories, and I'm once again amazed at how much I'm enjoying short stories. 

One of the short stories was an excerpt from the Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey, and I was reminded of how much I enjoyed reading the series so many years ago.

So what do I do?  I go out and buy the first book in the series, Dragonflight to read again, of course.  And I am unbelievably happy.  This was a book I can remember reading when I was still in junior high, and it's one of those comforting memories.

It's still providing me comfort, especially in a time where I'm really bearing down to get ready for the next Write Well U class.

The Need for a Reminder

Not to beat a dead horse, but I do love Mike Dooley's Notes from the Universe.  Here's an excerpt of one I received last week.

You live in Gaithersburg. You dream of rocking the world; that you will create Write Well U; that you will be in all the right places at all the right times. Yes! I can see it now, if you make create Write Well U your end result, and don't mess with the cursed "hows."

It's easy, Dawn, simply understand that your dream, the end result, is far bigger and more important than any of the steps you think you have to take. From a physical perspective, you simply can't know all that's involved. Your idea of the right steps may not be the best way for your dream to come true.

See why I think this is cool?  Okay, I get that it's a database thing and it's easy enough to plug in the form field of my answers into the Thought.  But still - seeing it in writing is powerful. 

How We Use Words - Part II

There must be something wrong with me that I'm so fascinated by other people's playlist names. 

I keep reading over Word Lily's playlists, and I get excited.  "Oh, she likes LOTR, too!"  "Ooooh, I wonder what's on her Soothe playlist."

Really, it's another example of how the words that people choose clue us into who they are.  I can tell quite a bit about Word Lily from her playlists, and I feel that people can learn about me from mine.

The power of words.

Challenge Yourself - Listen

As Lynn's former VA, I was pretty familiar with her Weekly Challengers.  Although we're not working together anymore (we're great friends), I still get, and read, her Weekly Challengers.

Last week's was one that I kept in my inbox because I thought it was particularly meaningful.

How to Really Listen

When is the last time you listened - really listened - to someone, without figuring out how to help, advise, correct, or prove your point at the next chance you get to speak?

Don't get down on yourself; listening is hard work. I'm a life coach, and the most important part of my job is listening. I know that it can be challenging to really hear what the other person is saying without figuring out what I'm going to say next. I love to appear witty and wise, and when I go that route, I'm rarely either.

The trick is to put yourself in a headspace where nothing matters except what the other person is saying. Listen not only to what is said, but to how it's said. Listen for what isn't said. Get curious. Think more about what you want to know than what you want to say. Ask questions.

She sends a Weekly Challenger out every week on Monday.  It's free, and sometimes they can really make you think.  I'm not writing this because I'm trying to send some new subscribers to my friend's site.  If I didn't know Lynn and had stumbled across this on my own, you would have gotten this same post.  Well, without much of this paragraph and the mention of how I used to be Lynn's VA.  Other than that, it would have been the same.  :-)