Back To It

I'm coming down from the mountain top--literally--and am getting back to my writing life.

First things first: blogging. (Thanks to Scoti for covering my back while I took a breather.)

I have an editorial meeting today to brainstorm the next four issues of Connections, the magazine I edit. While I was vacationing, I received a request from an editor to rewrite an article. And, yes, even on my get-away-from-writing time, I wrote just a little bit, and I want to get that piece submitted.

Does it feel good to get back at it?

To be honest, yes and no.

I am writer. Most of the time, I like to write. I even like to rewrite. But I find myself still peering down this stretch of the writing road trying to figure out which way it is curving. I didn't have any "Aha!" moments during my brief time away.

I've decided to be okay with the uncertainty of the road ahead. I'll take the next steps one at a time and see where I end up.

I'm wondering: What do you do when you're not sure which way the writing road lies for you? Do you look for a sign? Do you stand in the middle of the road until you know exactly what you're going to do next? Or do you continue some amount of forward motion, despite not knowing exactly where you're going?

Why Check Original Sources for Context?

As editor of a professional journal, I received an article regarding women in leadership. One expert quoted Josephus who stated, “Women are inferior to men.” To check the accuracy and context of this quote, I found four reliable sources that supported the expert’s opinion. Since the original source was Josephus, I accessed the online source containing the full text for all of Josephus’ books.

In the find box under edit, I entered the key words “women,” “inferior” and “man.” No luck. Then I typed “woman” and “inferior” in the find box. Again, I searched every book written by Josephus. In Flavius Josephus Against Apion, Book II, Josephus wrote, “says the Scripture, ‘A woman is inferior to her husband in all things.’”

The context of this verse specifically related to marriage—not leadership. To prove their points, the expert and four other sources edited Josephus’ quote to say what they wanted it to say. Neither the context nor the quote was correct. And Josephus was also wrong. Scripture does not say, "A woman is inferior to her husband in all things."

Writers on Writing

"I write for the same reason I breathe—because if I didn't I would die."—Isaac Asimov

I'm fascinated by other writer's observations. I hope their quotes make you laugh, think about why you write, and motivate you to pursue your writing passion.

"A writer can make a fortune in America, but he can't make a living."—James Michener

"As a confirmed melancholic, I can testify that the best and maybe only antidote for melancholia is action. However, like most melancholics, I suffer also from sloth."—Edward Abbey

"It is not the writer's task to answer questions but to question answers."—Edward Abbey

"The writer is not a pastry chef, a cosmetician, or an entertainer. He is a man bound by contract to his sense of duty and to his conscience."—Anton Chekhov

"A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs; jolted by every pebble in the road."—Henry Ward Beecher

"If my doctor told me I had only six minutes to live, I wouldn't brood. I'd type a little faster."—Isaac Asimov

"Life is not an easy matter.... You cannot live through it without falling into frustration and cynicism unless you have before you a great idea which raises you above personal misery, above weakness, above all kinds of perfidy and baseness."—Leon Trotsky

"A truly great book should be read in youth, again in maturity and once more in old age, as a fine building should be seen by morning light, at noon and by moonlight."—Robertson Davies

"I don't get ideas; ideas get me."—Robertson Davies

Research: Think Outside the Box

"The way to do research is to attack the facts at the point of greatest astonishment." — Celia Green

I love researching. However, projects I intensely dislike are those “parental projects” assigned by teachers to children who cannot complete them without a parent’s help. In second grade my son, Kristoffer, was assigned one of those dreaded “parental projects”—a transportation report.

As a single parent, it was just one more ball to add to all the balls I was trying to keep in the air. To add to my frustration, my son chose a sports car unfamiliar to me—Lamborghini—the Diablo.

I figured out it was an Italian car. Seven-year-old Kristoffer prepared the questions that I faxed to Italy to the President of Lamborghini—after figuring out how to dial 011 plus the number. Lamborghini replied and informed us that Lee Iacocca now owned Lamborghini.

I called Iacocca’s office and was given his fax number. I faxed Kristoffer’s questions to Iacocca. A Vice President replied via Federal-Express. Not only did he answer all Kristoffer’s questions, but he included some pictures that were collector’s items to include in the report.

Next, I called Lamborghini of Beverly Hills to set up an interview with the manager. In our 1978 beat-up Volvo named “Old Betsy,” I drove Kristoffer to Beverly Hills. Kristoffer interviewed the manager who also gave him a tour that ended with Kristoffer purchasing pictures and a "Lamborghini Parking Only" sign.

Kristoffer wrote his report and made his poster. “WE” got an A-, which disappointed me. In my opinion, the teacher missed the importance of what Kristoffer learned about creative research and the writing process.

Research is an experience, not just about reading and writing neatly written words on the page. No matter the project, think outside the box and make it fun.

Looking for the Next Rest Stop

"Rest when you're weary. Refresh and renew yourself, your body, your mind, your spirit. Then get back to work." ~ Ralph Marston

I find myself looking for a rest stop along the writing road. I have things I need to do--articles to write, things to edit. And yet, I keep looking to the side of the road, wondering when I can pull off and rest.

I need a break.

Rather than doing that--deliberately taking a break--I've written and edited half-heartedly. My writing has been haphazard at best and my editing has been anemic.

Sometimes the best thing a writer can do is not write. Sometimes it is best to admit your heart is empty and it is time to replenish, renew, refresh.

Rest.

Slogging through physical, mental, emotional and spiritual exhaustion is a waste of time.

So I'm taking my advice and pulling over for a rest stop. Giving myself permission to not write for a few days.

Instead, I'll focus on resting and renewing and replenishing.

And after that, I'll be ready to write again.

Creating a PowerPoint: The ABC's

“If anything can go wrong, it will.”—Murphy's Law

Want to use PowerPoint when you speak? Keep in mind that any mechanical device has the potential to go haywire—distracting you and your audience. Avoid planning your talk around your PowerPoint presentation. When creating your PowerPoint, use the following tips to add value to your speech.

Anecdotes/Acronyms: Don’t overload your audience with data dump—facts, bullets or information. Tell engaging, relevant stories to support each point. List and spell out all acronyms on the last slide.

Bullets: Use no more than four or five bullets per slide.

Contrast: Use high contrast text and graphics. The more contrast between the background and type, the more your words pop, for example dark or black lettering stands out against a light background. Cool colors work best for backgrounds. Warm colors are best for text.

Design: Avoid clutter. Leave white space around text and graphics.

Editing: Check grammar and spelling.

Font: The room and size of the audience may vary. Legibility is important. Use Arial, Gill Sans, Universal, or Times New Roman. Use 32-50 points for title slides, 24-32 points for the title, 20-32 points for the heading and bulleted lists, and 18-point for the text. No one past the first few rows can read type smaller than 18 points. Avoid capitalizing words, it reduces readability and comprehension.

Graphs/Graphics: Complex graphs or graphics are difficult to see in the back row. Divide information over several slides. Limit pie charts to 4-6 slices. Limit vertical bar charts to 4-8 contrasting bars. Limit horizontal bar charts to four bars.

Handout: Create a takeaway handout providing detailed facts, graphs and acronyms. For note compulsive takers, print out your PowerPoint presentation.

Italicized Fonts: Don’t use. They are hard to read.

Join: Connect the PowerPoint with your talk. However, make sure your talk can stand alone without the PowerPoint.

Kiss: Keep it simple stupid does not mean stupid. Nothing is as easy as it looks. Constructing a well-presented talk and PowerPoint requires planning and work.

Lines: Limit text to six lines or less.

Metaphors: Use a powerful word picture that your audience will remember.

Needs: What are your audience’s felt needs? What three points do you want your audience to remember? Keep main points logical, simple and clear.

Organization: Begin with a summary slide stating your three main points.

Pictures: Use pictures to illustrate your point. The best slides have no text. Include high-resolution stock photos or your own digital pictures to help the audience emotionally connect to your story. Don’t use cartoonish clip art.

Quotations: Keep quotes short.

Red Type: Never use it. Red type is illegible when projected.

Simplicity: Eliminate every nonessential phrase, word or element.

Text: Not artistic? Use one number, one percentage or one memorable, key word that is ten characters or less. Make it large—as in HUGE text that takes up the entire slide.

Verify: Check your facts to make sure they are accurate. Include the source.

Wordiness: Use key words and phrases only. Limit words to six to eight words per line.

X: Cross out or delete extraneous or detailed information. Use key ideas on each slide. Be clear and concise. Too much text lessens legibility.

Yadda-Yadda: PowerPoint is not a teleprompter. Don’t read the PowerPoint slide word for word. Spend 45 seconds to 5 minutes per slide to reinforce your points. Plan your talk to correspond with—not repeat—the information on the slides.

Zombie Proofing: The mind only tolerates what the derrière can bear.

Just a Thought

If there's a book you really want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it. ~Toni Morrison

A brief blog today.

A thought--a challenge of sorts.

And wish that you have a wonderful Easter celebrating with friends and family the hope and joy God has given us.