"You don't know what you don't know"
This has become my mantra of late, at work where we are integrating EMR, electronic medical record documentation into our daily work lives and now as I endeavor to learn about the world of blogging. These two areas may seem incongruent, but not really. There are still ground rules and new verbage that I have to learn, integrate, and then try to use. There are errors that are not easily erased by the rubbery end of a pencil. Instead it is dangerously easy to delete all of what you meant to partially edit and have to start all over. I have learned to put my flat padded mouse pad in front of the monitor so that when I bang my head on the desk I will eliminate the unsightly impressions on my forehead of paper clips, pencils or therapy tools. Goniometer head, not cool.
This process of new learning can be extremely frustrating because of my age. Not really because of my age, but of the era I grew up in. While in line at a fast food restaurant I was fussing at my new phone trying to get rid of the texts hogging the memory and preventing new texts from arriving. I was deleting them one by one. My teen daughter grabbed the phone from me, and in three strokes on the keyboard deleted them all and handed it back to me without missing a beat on her keypad. What I find profoundly frustrating is that I have the capacity to learn, step by step, but my own child would rather just do it for me than spend the time to show me. This is second nature to her because she has grown up with this technology. People of my era simply have a different set of synapses, different brain patterns that don't run parallel to the keystroke progression brain formation of the computer literate generation.
I do know how to research. So I went to www.google.com and searched "Blogging". Wow! tons of stuff popped up.
So I read the post, followed a few links, and did the old fashioned approach to learning by writing notes down in a notebook. Yep. Sure did. I have the need to be able to flip back and forth through pages of notes. No cut and paste, just old fashioned pen and paper. I will be a hybrid blogger.
Perhaps you are thinking to yourself that this post has nothing to do with the title. Well, I now know a little bit more. I didn't know the different platforms for blogging. I didn't really understand that a typical blog combines text, images and links. I didn't know that the word widget has been around since the 1920's, but that blogging really just started around 2005 in what we now call blogging.
Next step? Learn how to add a Widget, and pictures.
Sunday, July 6, 2014
Friday, July 4, 2014
Confessions of a novice blogger.
It has been a long time since I posted anything. OK, it has been ages. What can I say? Life, work, kids, they all come before my blogging.
*Hangs head in shame* I am in charge of a "virtual" book club for my hospital. I say virtual because many of the avid book readers in our group work all kinds of shifts, all different days and times. A hospital is open 24/7. That makes it very hard to have a set schedule without excluding others. So when we set up our group we decided that we would use e-mails, a bulletin board, and newsletters to communicate book news and interests. The newsletters go out once a month, our meeting are more like quarterly. When I cross paths with my fellow co-worker/book club member, I always ask for their input. My questions include "Do you like the newsletter? What books do you want us to bring to our groups attention? Is there anything else you would like us to do?" What they don't hear me ask out loud: "Do you read my newsletters? Do you look at our bulletin board? Am I bothering you? Do you still want to be part of this group?"
I read of how authors become insecure about their writing, and here I am insecure about my leadership in a book club! Perhaps readers are also solitary figures, who until the advent of social networking pretty much kept their love of reading to themselves or in the shared lines of the bookstore or library. Then along came blogging.
The truth is, I am a novice blogger. A book club member wanted to know about book blogging. And I found myself stumbling in my explanation. I told her that blogging was when you talk about "stuff" on the internet where people could read it and respond. That was it. My entire explanation. Then she has to ask me to show her how to do become a blogger. Oh oh. Sigh.
I didn't explain to her that I really know next to nothing. That this blog I started is really just an experiment that I started but never expanded upon. That I have like a total of 12 posts. Do I even have any followers?
I am stubborn. After all, everything you need to know is on the internet to explain it all. I have started this little blog. So it's not as though I know nothing. If other people can learn this, I can too. One step at a time.
Step One: Find my focus.
Done! My focus is I will write about book things.
Step Two: Don't over reach.
So I will commit to writing a blog post once a week. That is doable indeed. As I already write a monthly newsletter, perhaps I can include "stuff" from that to here. Perhaps as part of my blog posts I can chronicle my posts so that it will show step by step what I have learned. Now I just have to figure out how to do that. So how do I do that.
Going now to do my research. See ya next week!
*Hangs head in shame* I am in charge of a "virtual" book club for my hospital. I say virtual because many of the avid book readers in our group work all kinds of shifts, all different days and times. A hospital is open 24/7. That makes it very hard to have a set schedule without excluding others. So when we set up our group we decided that we would use e-mails, a bulletin board, and newsletters to communicate book news and interests. The newsletters go out once a month, our meeting are more like quarterly. When I cross paths with my fellow co-worker/book club member, I always ask for their input. My questions include "Do you like the newsletter? What books do you want us to bring to our groups attention? Is there anything else you would like us to do?" What they don't hear me ask out loud: "Do you read my newsletters? Do you look at our bulletin board? Am I bothering you? Do you still want to be part of this group?"
I read of how authors become insecure about their writing, and here I am insecure about my leadership in a book club! Perhaps readers are also solitary figures, who until the advent of social networking pretty much kept their love of reading to themselves or in the shared lines of the bookstore or library. Then along came blogging.
The truth is, I am a novice blogger. A book club member wanted to know about book blogging. And I found myself stumbling in my explanation. I told her that blogging was when you talk about "stuff" on the internet where people could read it and respond. That was it. My entire explanation. Then she has to ask me to show her how to do become a blogger. Oh oh. Sigh.
I didn't explain to her that I really know next to nothing. That this blog I started is really just an experiment that I started but never expanded upon. That I have like a total of 12 posts. Do I even have any followers?
I am stubborn. After all, everything you need to know is on the internet to explain it all. I have started this little blog. So it's not as though I know nothing. If other people can learn this, I can too. One step at a time.
Step One: Find my focus.
Done! My focus is I will write about book things.
Step Two: Don't over reach.
So I will commit to writing a blog post once a week. That is doable indeed. As I already write a monthly newsletter, perhaps I can include "stuff" from that to here. Perhaps as part of my blog posts I can chronicle my posts so that it will show step by step what I have learned. Now I just have to figure out how to do that. So how do I do that.
Going now to do my research. See ya next week!
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Just so cool.
I received the package on a Thursday. Bill didn’t open it, waiting for me to come home from work to rip open the padded package revealing a Steely Dan t-shirt and “Eminent Hipsters” by Donald Fagen. I entered the contest on Facebook, an unusual way to do so, but hey, I won!
Bill promptly took the t-shirt. “Hey, I really like this.” That’s fine, I thought. I had the book which is what I wanted anyway. Bill just watches TV and listens to music. He was the one who listened to Steely Dan anyway. You can’t fight over what you don’t share.
So here I am reading the book with my feet curled up on the sofa. "Eminent Hipsters" isn’t a biography, but rather Donald Fagen writes about musical influences in his life, musings per say. The stories are not contiguous, but rather jump around a bit, much like the swing and jazz music that Mr. Fagen is so passionate about. “Hey, dear, did you know that Steely Dan was influenced by Jazz?” I ask my husband. “Yes, of course.” He replies. He doesn’t even glance at me, like I don't deserve eye contact because everyone who listened to Steely Dan would know this. Duh.
I listen to the melody of a song. Bill can’t carry a tune but remembers the words of every song he cares about. So it’s useless for him to sing a tune for me to remember what the music sounds like. “You hear the music all the time.” He tells me.
It isn’t until we get into the sedan and he puts the car in drive that I realize I do know this music. The CD is already playing, convenient as it was never removed from the last time we were in the car. “You know there is a line about a Steely Day t-shirt.” He tells me. “You’re kidding!” I reply. So here we are driving around the long route, listening to Steely Dan, Bill singing off-tune and me humming along with the melody. Eminent Replace-Hip-sters.
Bill promptly took the t-shirt. “Hey, I really like this.” That’s fine, I thought. I had the book which is what I wanted anyway. Bill just watches TV and listens to music. He was the one who listened to Steely Dan anyway. You can’t fight over what you don’t share.
So here I am reading the book with my feet curled up on the sofa. "Eminent Hipsters" isn’t a biography, but rather Donald Fagen writes about musical influences in his life, musings per say. The stories are not contiguous, but rather jump around a bit, much like the swing and jazz music that Mr. Fagen is so passionate about. “Hey, dear, did you know that Steely Dan was influenced by Jazz?” I ask my husband. “Yes, of course.” He replies. He doesn’t even glance at me, like I don't deserve eye contact because everyone who listened to Steely Dan would know this. Duh.
I listen to the melody of a song. Bill can’t carry a tune but remembers the words of every song he cares about. So it’s useless for him to sing a tune for me to remember what the music sounds like. “You hear the music all the time.” He tells me.
It isn’t until we get into the sedan and he puts the car in drive that I realize I do know this music. The CD is already playing, convenient as it was never removed from the last time we were in the car. “You know there is a line about a Steely Day t-shirt.” He tells me. “You’re kidding!” I reply. So here we are driving around the long route, listening to Steely Dan, Bill singing off-tune and me humming along with the melody. Eminent Replace-Hip-sters.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Do reader reviews really matter?
Every once in a while certain topics by authors and readers peak and furiously travel the social media networks. The activity slowly ebbs when anything that possibly can be said and commented on, liked or disagreed with, has run its course. Recently the topic of paid reader reviews came up.
A paid review is when an author contracts with a service to provide stellar reviews of their work. The idea is that when a potential reader sees the positive review they will purchase this book because of it. So, what are paid reviews good for? Does this strategy work? I don't really know. I am not sure this is wise for any author to do. It seems to me that the money could be spent more wisely elsewhere when trying to promote your book.
How many reviews does an author pay for? When actual readers rate the book, doesn't the average rating change? How much weight do readers give reviews as a factor in their purchasing the book? These are questions I haven't seen anyone bring up.
Let me add my two cents.
Selecting a book from the ratings:
1. I select a book to read based on recommendations by other readers who share a similar taste in books that I have. I trust their ratings, although sometimes I disagree with them.
2. Generally, a book that has made it's way to the best sellers list has done so because they have sold a lot of copies. I don't think an author can pay for enough reviews to propel a book to the best seller list.
3. I only read short reviews. I don't have time to read reviews longer than, say, about 5 lines. They bore me.
My Ratings:
1. I do rate the books I read, mostly on Goodreads under the pseudo name Julie. (My daughter created the account and figured anonymity was best)I try to also add the same review on Amazon, and Barnes and Nobles sites. When I feel like it. When I really like the book.
2. Very rarely have I not completed a book. I love most books. Two times I put a book down because it was too intense for me. It wasn't because the book was bad by any means. I didn't rate those books. One book I stopped reading because it changed in the middle to a very different kind of book and I thought the author lost their way. If I really didn't like a book, I ask myself if it was because I don't normally like the genre. I don't think it is fair to other readers if I rate it based on what I like. I remember reading the review of a paranormal romance book. The reader didn't like it because of what made it, you guessed, a paranormal romance. Duh. Why did they even read the book?
3. Confession, I did rate a book with a 1 out of 5. I admire the author for having a best seller. But I just couldn't like 50 Shades of Grey. I still read it to the end to see what it was all about. It was like fingernails on a chalkboard. But I don't berate other authors who loved it. It wasn't the genre, I have read other erotic books that I loved. Just. not. me.
Should authors sweat ratings?
1. No
2. Don't answer negative ratings. I have seen authors or their representative skewed for doing so.
3. Have you ever gotten good advice from someones ratings? No. Instead, get good beta readers.
4. Don't sweat bad reviews. As a reader, I have seen plenty where I feel like they have just copied and pasted, no real info in their posts. I have seen reviews on books that haven't even had ARC's published. Like, really? Are you just trying to pump up your numbers to be on some list yourselves? Readers like me just brush them away like a buzzing fly. Ignore them!
So, if you are an author, I hope this gives you a different perspective. TTYL
A paid review is when an author contracts with a service to provide stellar reviews of their work. The idea is that when a potential reader sees the positive review they will purchase this book because of it. So, what are paid reviews good for? Does this strategy work? I don't really know. I am not sure this is wise for any author to do. It seems to me that the money could be spent more wisely elsewhere when trying to promote your book.
How many reviews does an author pay for? When actual readers rate the book, doesn't the average rating change? How much weight do readers give reviews as a factor in their purchasing the book? These are questions I haven't seen anyone bring up.
Let me add my two cents.
Selecting a book from the ratings:
1. I select a book to read based on recommendations by other readers who share a similar taste in books that I have. I trust their ratings, although sometimes I disagree with them.
2. Generally, a book that has made it's way to the best sellers list has done so because they have sold a lot of copies. I don't think an author can pay for enough reviews to propel a book to the best seller list.
3. I only read short reviews. I don't have time to read reviews longer than, say, about 5 lines. They bore me.
My Ratings:
1. I do rate the books I read, mostly on Goodreads under the pseudo name Julie. (My daughter created the account and figured anonymity was best)I try to also add the same review on Amazon, and Barnes and Nobles sites. When I feel like it. When I really like the book.
2. Very rarely have I not completed a book. I love most books. Two times I put a book down because it was too intense for me. It wasn't because the book was bad by any means. I didn't rate those books. One book I stopped reading because it changed in the middle to a very different kind of book and I thought the author lost their way. If I really didn't like a book, I ask myself if it was because I don't normally like the genre. I don't think it is fair to other readers if I rate it based on what I like. I remember reading the review of a paranormal romance book. The reader didn't like it because of what made it, you guessed, a paranormal romance. Duh. Why did they even read the book?
3. Confession, I did rate a book with a 1 out of 5. I admire the author for having a best seller. But I just couldn't like 50 Shades of Grey. I still read it to the end to see what it was all about. It was like fingernails on a chalkboard. But I don't berate other authors who loved it. It wasn't the genre, I have read other erotic books that I loved. Just. not. me.
Should authors sweat ratings?
1. No
2. Don't answer negative ratings. I have seen authors or their representative skewed for doing so.
3. Have you ever gotten good advice from someones ratings? No. Instead, get good beta readers.
4. Don't sweat bad reviews. As a reader, I have seen plenty where I feel like they have just copied and pasted, no real info in their posts. I have seen reviews on books that haven't even had ARC's published. Like, really? Are you just trying to pump up your numbers to be on some list yourselves? Readers like me just brush them away like a buzzing fly. Ignore them!
So, if you are an author, I hope this gives you a different perspective. TTYL
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Back from the Orlando Indie Book Fest
I have attended my first indie book event. I feel like I should be sporting pom poms and cheering for the authors 'cause I think that is truely is a significant event signaling a cultural change in our mind sets about indie writers. Well, not my mind set because I have enjoyed many books written by indie authors for several years now. However, there are frequent articles about indie books verus traditional publicated books. Let me make a few observations:
1. Indie authors foremost are readers who also write what they love to read.
2. Indie authors write hoping that others will enjoy their work, whether they sell just a few books, or enough to make a living at it.
3. Indie authors are reaching out to each other, being supportive and sharing information ranging from book covers, to editors, to formating, to interacting with bloggers and readers.
And now, they are finding that if they create a book event, people will come!
The book event I am refering to was the Indie Book Fest in Orlando August 3rd. In one room was about 40 tables of authors with their books. I read some of the books, but was introduced to many more authors and books I hadn't seen before. Although most were of the YA/NA genre, interspersed where sci-fi, erotica, and dystopian. Even a few childrens books. Tables ranged from very professional looking, to a little sparce because it was perhaps a first time event for the author. But everyone was excited to be there, and loved to talk about their books and their stories.
In the other room the set up was for a panel of about 5-6 authors with topics ranging from NA versus YA, so you think you can write, and what makes guys swoon-worthy. The audience could ask questions as well.
There were a few bumps, as expected for any first time event. I think that the authors would have enjoyed attending the panels but many didn't leave their tables. I thought I was late, but the panels didn't start until 9. This wasn't clear on the agenda. I think it would have been helpful to have the people who had info for writers such as book covers, editing services, promotional products, etc could have had their own corner where attendies who write could spend more time to chat and gather information for their writing endeavors. I would like to know about blogging, perhaps there could be a table for bloggers.
Overall this was a really great event. The key is to interact. Authors tend to be shy. But talk about their passion, and you will find a friend and a ton of new books to read.
1. Indie authors foremost are readers who also write what they love to read.
2. Indie authors write hoping that others will enjoy their work, whether they sell just a few books, or enough to make a living at it.
3. Indie authors are reaching out to each other, being supportive and sharing information ranging from book covers, to editors, to formating, to interacting with bloggers and readers.
And now, they are finding that if they create a book event, people will come!
The book event I am refering to was the Indie Book Fest in Orlando August 3rd. In one room was about 40 tables of authors with their books. I read some of the books, but was introduced to many more authors and books I hadn't seen before. Although most were of the YA/NA genre, interspersed where sci-fi, erotica, and dystopian. Even a few childrens books. Tables ranged from very professional looking, to a little sparce because it was perhaps a first time event for the author. But everyone was excited to be there, and loved to talk about their books and their stories.
In the other room the set up was for a panel of about 5-6 authors with topics ranging from NA versus YA, so you think you can write, and what makes guys swoon-worthy. The audience could ask questions as well.
There were a few bumps, as expected for any first time event. I think that the authors would have enjoyed attending the panels but many didn't leave their tables. I thought I was late, but the panels didn't start until 9. This wasn't clear on the agenda. I think it would have been helpful to have the people who had info for writers such as book covers, editing services, promotional products, etc could have had their own corner where attendies who write could spend more time to chat and gather information for their writing endeavors. I would like to know about blogging, perhaps there could be a table for bloggers.
Overall this was a really great event. The key is to interact. Authors tend to be shy. But talk about their passion, and you will find a friend and a ton of new books to read.
Saturday, July 27, 2013
So Psyched! Going to an indie book fest!
Two weeks away! I am SOOO excited to be going to the Indie Book Fest in Orlando. I am driving up from Miami, and my daughter is driving down from Tallahassee. Not only do we get to hang out together, we get to go meet some of our favorite indie authors.
It's kind of been an evolution over time for me as a reader, my indie author fandom. I have my daughter, "The Girl", to thank, although she tells me she has created a demon out of me. Hmm, demon book reader. Yes, I read about demons, ghosts, vampires, gods and goddesses, werewolves, and harpies. Just to name a few. So I am not insulted.
In 2011, we bought our first e-reader, a Nook. It's not that we were really interested in changing our book reading habits, but that was the year The Girl came back home after graduating college. We all were expecting it to be a short stay while she found her dream career. It was also the year of no jobs or job prospects in her selected field. So she joined the ranks of kids with a degree working at the local grocery store as a cashier. Ask her what code apples or bananas have. I dare you.
The Girl had always expressed the desire to be a writer since she was little. But, she thought she had to have a "real" job to support herself while she wrote. Ok, fine. Well, this didn't work out as planned. So plan B, she started to write, sent out her query letters, and waited. And waited. And... Excitement! Per agent request: send out the first three chapters! And waited, and waited... and "sorry, not at this time".
So, in between the whining, (Oh, my favorite line is "do you want some cheese with that whine?") job searching, working, moping, The Girl did her research. And with a mom's sage wisdom, I tell her to get off her ass and finish it. Yeah, Tiger mom parenting, I know. She tells me about Amanda Hocking, a self published author making substantial money from her books. She tells me about Goodreads. She writes some more, she reads, she creates a pen name, and continues to research how to be self published. So, in 2011, her first book came out. A paranormal YA book. And I would love to tell you more about that except that The Girl has told me I can't. Sigh.
Excitedly I started to "watch" her goodreads page. And I noticed that to the side where other books similar in the genre. With my new Nook, I started to download some of these books. And, wow! I was in book heaven. From there I started to follow author pages. From there I discovered more books, more authors, and book events like the Nashville UtopYA event, web sites like Ourbooksourvoice blogspot. And this in turn led me to the Indie bookfest in Orlando, almost in my back yard. WHOOT!
I love supporting Indie authors. As a group, they are also avid readers and get just excited and animated as I do about reading and book news. And, they are gathering in Orlando! I will be honest, I haven't read everyone's work, and I have about 80 books I have purchased and yet to read. I know, I shouldn't have looked. *bends head in shame* But, now I get to meet them in person! I plan to make a I Love YA pin to wear. I don't plan to embarass my daughter, but that will happen at least once. And we will be dragging her dad along. So they can roll their eyes at each other because of me.
So, if you are the rare person who has read my fledglng post and you will also be at the indie book bash, Hi! Dam glad to meet you! See you there!
It's kind of been an evolution over time for me as a reader, my indie author fandom. I have my daughter, "The Girl", to thank, although she tells me she has created a demon out of me. Hmm, demon book reader. Yes, I read about demons, ghosts, vampires, gods and goddesses, werewolves, and harpies. Just to name a few. So I am not insulted.
In 2011, we bought our first e-reader, a Nook. It's not that we were really interested in changing our book reading habits, but that was the year The Girl came back home after graduating college. We all were expecting it to be a short stay while she found her dream career. It was also the year of no jobs or job prospects in her selected field. So she joined the ranks of kids with a degree working at the local grocery store as a cashier. Ask her what code apples or bananas have. I dare you.
The Girl had always expressed the desire to be a writer since she was little. But, she thought she had to have a "real" job to support herself while she wrote. Ok, fine. Well, this didn't work out as planned. So plan B, she started to write, sent out her query letters, and waited. And waited. And... Excitement! Per agent request: send out the first three chapters! And waited, and waited... and "sorry, not at this time".
So, in between the whining, (Oh, my favorite line is "do you want some cheese with that whine?") job searching, working, moping, The Girl did her research. And with a mom's sage wisdom, I tell her to get off her ass and finish it. Yeah, Tiger mom parenting, I know. She tells me about Amanda Hocking, a self published author making substantial money from her books. She tells me about Goodreads. She writes some more, she reads, she creates a pen name, and continues to research how to be self published. So, in 2011, her first book came out. A paranormal YA book. And I would love to tell you more about that except that The Girl has told me I can't. Sigh.
Excitedly I started to "watch" her goodreads page. And I noticed that to the side where other books similar in the genre. With my new Nook, I started to download some of these books. And, wow! I was in book heaven. From there I started to follow author pages. From there I discovered more books, more authors, and book events like the Nashville UtopYA event, web sites like Ourbooksourvoice blogspot. And this in turn led me to the Indie bookfest in Orlando, almost in my back yard. WHOOT!
I love supporting Indie authors. As a group, they are also avid readers and get just excited and animated as I do about reading and book news. And, they are gathering in Orlando! I will be honest, I haven't read everyone's work, and I have about 80 books I have purchased and yet to read. I know, I shouldn't have looked. *bends head in shame* But, now I get to meet them in person! I plan to make a I Love YA pin to wear. I don't plan to embarass my daughter, but that will happen at least once. And we will be dragging her dad along. So they can roll their eyes at each other because of me.
So, if you are the rare person who has read my fledglng post and you will also be at the indie book bash, Hi! Dam glad to meet you! See you there!
Sunday, July 14, 2013
What is writing?
"So, how much writing did you get done today?" I asked the girl while stretching my legs out on the couch in the living room. This was the first real question after the cursory "hello, how are you doing?" that never really needed an answer but was asked anyway, even of ones own daughter. I snuggled into the couch pillow just as I started my advance towards the real questioning.
"I haven't been very productive today, but I did update my website." She replied.
"Ok, going to it now." I open up my Kindle to the web search and press the first icon on the page. "Ah, I see it."
"I didnt' say you had to read it now." I can sense in her voice the border between annoyance and irritation. She didn't mean for me to go to her site. I don't care. I read what she wrote hoping not to find typo's or egregious running on sentences. So far so good. I tell her so.
"So, have you read my blog lately?" I ask her. What comes as natural as breathing to her is like plucking another grey hair to me. But as she is the only one besides myself that knows that my blog exists. I ask her to read it.
"Just a sec. Got it." She hesitates and I flip flop the cell phone to my other ear.
"And?" I query. "What do you think? I wrote this post with the changes in the sigh story from what Kim told me."
The girl starts to laugh.
"What?" Now my alarms are going off. I didn't think it was that bad. In fact I thought it was better than the previous post.
"This first part. It's like a book." She tells me.
"Ok, what does that mean?" I mean really, what did that mean?
"Well, you wrote it in first person. This whole post is a story." A simple answer. But I still didn't get what she meant.
"Where you wrote she looks over her magnified glasses and glares at me is first person versus writing in third person. This part is a story."
"Oh, really. Hmm. So you like the story?" I ask her.
"I am so not the girl. Really mom, you had her say masterbation!"
"Yes sweetie, you are not the girl. You would never act like that. Like, ever. This is just writing."
Sigh
"I haven't been very productive today, but I did update my website." She replied.
"Ok, going to it now." I open up my Kindle to the web search and press the first icon on the page. "Ah, I see it."
"I didnt' say you had to read it now." I can sense in her voice the border between annoyance and irritation. She didn't mean for me to go to her site. I don't care. I read what she wrote hoping not to find typo's or egregious running on sentences. So far so good. I tell her so.
"So, have you read my blog lately?" I ask her. What comes as natural as breathing to her is like plucking another grey hair to me. But as she is the only one besides myself that knows that my blog exists. I ask her to read it.
"Just a sec. Got it." She hesitates and I flip flop the cell phone to my other ear.
"And?" I query. "What do you think? I wrote this post with the changes in the sigh story from what Kim told me."
The girl starts to laugh.
"What?" Now my alarms are going off. I didn't think it was that bad. In fact I thought it was better than the previous post.
"This first part. It's like a book." She tells me.
"Ok, what does that mean?" I mean really, what did that mean?
"Well, you wrote it in first person. This whole post is a story." A simple answer. But I still didn't get what she meant.
"Where you wrote she looks over her magnified glasses and glares at me is first person versus writing in third person. This part is a story."
"Oh, really. Hmm. So you like the story?" I ask her.
"I am so not the girl. Really mom, you had her say masterbation!"
"Yes sweetie, you are not the girl. You would never act like that. Like, ever. This is just writing."
Sigh
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