“There’s a long history, of women especially, saying ‘Well, I just got lucky.’ I didn’t just get lucky. I worked my f***ing a** off. And then I got lucky. And if I hadn’t worked my a** off, I wouldn’t have gotten lucky. You have to do the work. You always have to do the work.” –Cheryl Strayed, author of Wild and Tiny Beautiful Things Simply put, in writing, there are no shortcuts. Or, to put it another way, the shortcuts never pan out, and there’s nothing to do about it except work hard, and continue to work hard. Until you get better. Unsure if you’re on the right path? Consider the following: Send only your best, completed manuscripts to agents and editors – even if the request is only for a partial. Imagine how disappointing it would be – and counterproductive for your career – to get a request for your full manuscript… only to have to tell them it’s not finished. Accept that it is the writer’s sole responsibility these days to come up with great ideas, and develop those ideas to a very high standard. Some writers mistakenly believe the idea of their story is so mind-blowingly terrific, an agent or editor will want to sign them on the spot and work out the details of the manuscript later. Use friends and family as early readers, and when you need affirmation. In successive drafts, when critical feedback is needed, use professional editors and other professional writers in your…
When I use technology, I can’t help but think of this driver’s refrain, passed on to me by a former (slightly suspect) driver’s ed instructor: if you aren’t sure where you’re going, it’s best to travel on the road you know. It sounds dull and silly, but sometimes the shortcut gets you lost, takes longer, or causes an unnecessary headache. Take the road well-traveled if… [Read More]
Filed Under: convenience, curating content, learning curve, mundane tasks, shortcuts, streamlining social media, technology and innovation
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A decade ago I kissed the golden handcuffs of tenure goodbye. I walked away from teaching journalism and media studies at Ithaca College in May 2002. No one bothered to ask me why. The conditions and experiences haven’t gotten much better for female faculty and in some ways worse. In 1980, 49 percent of full-time female faculty had tenure, compared to 70 percent of men…. [Read More]
A quarter million people descended on Austin, TX, to partake in SXSW this weekend. Yesterday I arrived at the Austin Convention Center to pick up my badge and discovered a que that wound around the entire building and back again. Two hours standing in line provided ample time for observing the social behavior of new media folk. Not surprisingly, most people held smartphones in their… [Read More]
Did you ever ask yourself, is there really a God? Is Heaven for Real? Is there life after death? Just ask 4-year-old Colton Burpo from Imperial, Nebraska, who emerged from life-threatening surgery with astounding details about his near death experience. This is a true story of Colton’s account as told by his father, Todd Burpo, to Lynn Vincent. Colton describes floating away, looking down on… [Read More]
Since my last blog post on Tuesday, I’ve had very limited access to the internet due to travel. The illusion of free wi-fi in public places is, well, illusory. In Wisconsin this past week, my search for internet access brought me back into the libraries of my youth. New buildings and outstanding collections have replaced what stood bolted down in the 1970s section of my… [Read More]