All Write…It’s Friday!!!

9:00 AM Elizabeth Seckman 66 Comments



Happy Blogoversary to ME!!!!!

And you know how it is…when you reach a milestone, you look ahead and choose another.

Me?  I want to give my poor little schizophrenic blog a bit more direction.

So, I have decided…drum roll…my first post of the week…I’ll do whatever I want.

Buuuutttt on Friday I’m going to try to give back to my writing community.

Why? “Cause I’d still be mailing queries to “whom it may concern” if it weren’t for you guys…yeah…you know who you are!

All Write…It’s Friday!!!  Post #1

~Joining the Blogosphere~
When I first started this blog, I had boy#2 (Cole) as tech support, boy #1 (Caleb) as proof reader, boy #3 (Carter) as content monitor…and yes it’s about time I tell the world…Carter Seckman is sexy…I keep receiving poor content reviews because I have not made this fact public and until I do the blog will lack the hard core honesty it needs to grow… and boy #4 (Conner), who told his teacher….you think her school notes are funny…read her blog…as promoter.

That was my team. I didn’t know too many other bloggers and honestly, I had NO idea what I was doing.
Then I met this lady…Cassie Mae!!! (Sup.) Since I’ve met Cassie, I no longer feel like I am wandering around the internet all alone (no offense to my old team…though honestly, they are probably getting tired of being bugged.)

So, for whatever reasons…you want to start a blog…here’s Cassie to get you started…
*hehe…I asked Cassie if she would contribute…little did she know I’m giving her the whole post! (For real! Now there’s a ton of pressure!)

Cassie…I will so owe you a Mt. Dew if you will answer just one question…
What advice do you have for a new blogger?

Deal! I’ll be expecting that drink in the mail. ;)   you betcha chick!

(oh yeah, that’s me in black, cause I am a chatty little interrupter!)

Okay, so I’ll give ya the basics… and pretend to know what I’m talking about, lol.

I bullet things so people read them. (Hey! That’s a tip right there!) (woe there reader, that’s the little dot before each topic…she’s not threatening you…relax.)

*Easiest thing you can do? Put your followers and your ‘About Me’ up top. Up there. ^ Know why???

(Hey Cassie...whatcha think? I’m considering going with the existential me def…I am a flower, my petals dropping with the wind…fine I won’t…stop rolling your eyes! Good grief...continue please...)

Think about when you visit a blog you haven’t been to before.   You read the post and dude, it’s awesome. You wanna follow this blogger. But who is this blogger?

Scroll, scroll, scroll.

Mmmkay, I see awards, twitter button, bloghops, quotes, current wip, current pageviews… where the heck are they?

Oh! There they are!  Sweet! Okay, now how can I follow?

Where are their followers???

Do they have any?

Or do I just gotta click the little button at the top of the blog that only works about half the time.

Scroll, scroll, scroll.

Ah ha! Found them.

Okay. Now, let’s do this scenario again.

Dude! This blog rocks! Who is this person?

No scrolling necessary, it’s right there! Right next to the followers button. Sweet! *clicks Join This Site*

Done and done.

*Font and background

(I instinctually did this right, cause I have 40 year old eyes )

Super dark blog. I can read it (thank heavens) cuz the font is in white.

*spends a few minutes reading, commenting… blah blah blah.*

*Clicks back over to google reader.*

Agh! My freakin’ eyes! Dude that is bright!

Word of advice. Dark blogs: Okay, as long as it’s not all dark. Same thing with bright blogs. And always, ALWAYS, make the font color, size, and font itself readable. No one likes to squint.

*Content

Monday’s post: Holy crap, life sucks and everything about it is just crap. I’d crawl into a hole, but no one would know I went missing, so what’s the point?

Tuesday’s post: Guess what? I discovered that every religion is one big piece o’ sh**. I dare you to disagree with me. I’ve got proof.

Wednesday’s post: I don’t get why agents don’t just read what’s right in front of them. I’m a freakin’ brilliant writer. I’d make them a ton of money! And they keep sending me forms? Screw them. All of them.

Thursday’s post:  Guess who’s better than every single person who commented on my Tuesday post? That’s right suckas! Kiss my a**!

Friday’s post: I don’t understand why no one comes around anymore.

Ahem… need I say more?

(but this might work if you want a small, but loyal  group of negative Nellie followers, people who understand life sucks, you’ll never make it as a writer, and it’s because the whole world is out to get you…NO, sweets, never getting anything beyond a form rejection has nothing to do with your charming personality or your refusal to learn!)

*Be a Friend

Someone follows you, follow back. Follow your bloggy buddies’ buds. Respond to the comments left on your posts, whether in email or comment thread. Let them know they are important to you, and you appreciate them reading what you’ve had to say, and giving their input. Comment on their blogs. Create folders in Google Reader and make sure you visit the people who visit you. Blogging is not something you do halfway if you want to be a successful blogger. You gotta go full out! And you won’t regret it either. I have met some great people through blogging. (Miss Elizabeth included ;) (right back at ya chick!)) Take advantage of the opportunity here.

*There are a ton more things, but advice number… uh, I forget what number I’m on… Try not to be too lengthy. (I suck at this BTW) I’m gonna say it, though you all are gonna deny it. People skim. I skim sometimes. It sucks, but it’s true. So keep it real, but also try to keep it short. (I know… hypocrite speaking here!) And if you are going to be long-winded, keep it entertaining. (Again, not sure how I do at this either.)

See! There’s stuff even I need to work on!

(yeah, we broke the rule on this one…but cause you’re here…it’s uber entertaining!)

Okay, so that’s enough spewage. BUT! I’ll be here all day people! So if you have any questions, leave them in the comment section and I’ll pretend to know the answer.

Thanks Elizabeth! You are freakin’ awesome! (as are you!!!!!)  *waits patiently for Mountain Dew* LOL…didn’t it already arrive? Did you check your mailbox…it was there…with a check…for like, um a million dollars…cause of course that is what your priceless advice is worth!


Thanks Cassie! And you, the hardy little dedicated wonderful lovable person that read this far...
CLICK HERE meet Cassie on her own turf. :)

66 comments:

It's About Perspective...

9:55 AM Elizabeth Seckman 20 Comments

Last week I added solitaire to my iPod.


It started off as a nice way to occupy time between appointments and other down times.


BUT....THEN... I REALIZED (insert gasp) the Zynga company was GRADING me!


AND I was a measly 25% successful!


I know, I know. You feel my pain. I mean no matter which way you slice it, that's a fail, right?


And honestly? I don't like to fail.


I mean I have my fair share of fails...I just DO NOT enjoy them.


Long story short. I wanted, no NEEDED, a better percentage.


So I played their game...with a vengeance. I played while I watched tv, before bed, when I got up, when I shoulda been cooking dinner....


Then last night, my husband (who from henceforth shall be known as The Stud...he doesn't like hubby) was going in and on about documents and healthcare and legal notices and dropped benefits...blah blah blah...then... I won! Three games in a row!!! Percentage raised to a whopping 32%


Happy dance!


No?


My elation was met with stunned disbelief as The Stud pointed out I hadn't heard a single word he said. I totally blocked him out.


The Stud informed me I was obsessed.


Hmmm...maybe.


But to me...that ability to block out the world and focus on a self-set goal; knowing full well the only kudos may be the pat on the back I give myself?


Well my dears, I do not call that obsession. I call it dedication.


It's a skill that serves me well. It's that sort of patient tenacity that keeps me from throwing a key board through a window.


And fortunately for me The Stud loves me and puts up with my...um...obsessively dedicated personality.

20 comments:

Sea Monkey Master

12:01 PM Elizabeth Seckman 27 Comments



                                           Meet Gabriel. 


                                      The Sea Monkey Master. 
The Official Sea Monkey Site


I have wanted sea monkeys since I was a little shrimp.


My brother and I combined our piggy banks, squelched the urge to purchase the 'get buff by summer and don't get sand kicked in your face supplements' on the opposite page of the comic book, and ordered our Sea Monkeys. 

We got our kit. We followed the directions...and nothing. 

Tried a few more times. Still Nothing!

My dad, the scientist, let us know we were wasting our money on brine shrimp...the aquatic equivalent of lab mice.

I abandoned my Sea Monkey obsession for "Tiger Beat" magazine and a love for Sean Cassidy. (yes, I know...I'm dating myself!)

Twenty years later...I found Sea Monkeys again. (at Wal Mart, of course!) 

I bought them, um, for the kids. We followed the instructions to the letter. 

I was hopeful. Finally...Sea Monkeys!

But AGAIN...NOTHING!

Dumped it out with curses cast toward the the company for the fleecing of children (and whimsical adults).

Then, being the eternal optimist (or insanely stubborn)...I bought them again as a Christmas present for boy #3 (see Carter, you made the blog!)

Once again we followed all the guidelines. And it looked like we failed again.

Then Gabriel visited. He recognized the green plastic aquarium in the kitchen.

Gabe: "Cool. You got Sea Monkeys too?"
Me: "No. We have an empty tank. Stupid Sea Monkeys."
Gabe: "Sea Monkeys are neat."
Me: "You've seen Sea Monkeys?!"  
He just nodded, with a look of wonderment that his aunt responded like he just confessed to seeing Big Foot riding waves on the Loch Ness Monster. 
Me: "For real? From the kit?"
Gabe: "Yes."
Me: "Nuh uh."
He laughs and drops to the floor. I can read his mind...'my aunt is sooooooo weird...but she gives me bananas and chocolate chip cookies, so I will put up with her'
Me: "Well then, what's the secret?"
Gabe: "I don't know. Just grow them. Put them in a window with light, but not too much and then just feed them."
Me: "That's all?"
He nods his head.

I follow his advice. 

Still NOTHING.

He returns, so I grill him some more.

Me: "Gabe, you really saw something in your tank swimming around?"
Gabe: "Yep."
Me: "Not just an algae? Are you sure you don't just have a bunch of algae?"
Gabe: "Well, they eat algae. So you want algae." He didn't add a 'duh', but I could hear it in his voice.
Me: "Did you use binoculars to see them?" 
Gabe: Slaps head. "No. Just be patient. Just leave them in the window and wait."

So I waited longer. December to January to February...the failed green mess almost got the flush countless times...but every time I went to give up, I'd think of Gabe. I knew he would chastise my lack of patience with a laugh and googly eye roll. 

March. Three months past Christmas. This is getting ridiculous!

This weekend, I was washing dishes. The sun was shining in the kitchen window and movement...INSIDE the Sea Monkey tank...caught my eye!!!

I looked and there they were. Four little white critters! 

No, they aren't wearing crowns. No they aren't wielding scepters. And I doubt they ever build any castles.

But they are REAL! They do exist!

I just had to be excruciatingly patient. 

Patient past the point of common sense. 

Am I disappointed that they look like something that if I saw them in a pool I'd refuse to swim in till it was cleaned? No. 

I've come to accept that when dreams come true...they are still harnessed by the laws of reality. 

So, what dream are you waiting on to hatch? 






27 comments:

"Got Green?"

12:22 PM Elizabeth Seckman 13 Comments

No I haven't changed me red, white, and blue stripes, but I am a' blog 'o'hopping!

You'd hop too, cause the winners get a free trip to Hawaii. And Mick at Aloha! Mark Koopmans Says Hi from HI is paying for it!

Poor Mick is sweating now! Cause I just passed on an internet myth as fact. Melissa Sugar started it. Sue her! Or maybe not, her being a lawyer and all.

Okay, so this blog o'hop is supposed to be a post about St. Paddy's (the actual oirish spelling...see Mick, I'm learning) Day. Problem is...I don't know nuthin' 'bout birthin' no babies* or the traditions of St. Paddy's Day.

Truth be told, "Erin Go Bragh" might as well be a new boulder holder designed to keep the girls perky.

I understand from Mick, straight from the Emerald Isle himself, that most of the holiday customs we enjoy here in America are American creations.

 But hey, we are the capitalist...we KNOW how to make a party a PAAARRRTTTTAAAYYY!

Seems one of the only truly Oirish immigrants is the cereal making leprechaun (Oh, what Mick? You say you were just joking about that? Why would you joke about that Mick? I really thought the 'magically delicious' slogan was more than just marketing gimmick. Nothing is sacred anymore!)

So, here's the straight truth. I celebrate this holiday the same way year after year...
I forget to wear green.
I plan to wear green.
 But then I always forget.
Then I'm forced to lie...me undies are green!
Just to protect Me Lucky Charms from pinches!

This post rocked the Blarney Rock, Mick**, what did I win?


*a little "Gone with the Wind" quote...the only real Irish thing I know
**his real name is Mark Koopmans, but feel free to call him Chuck.



















13 comments:

Weekend Revelations...

10:35 AM Elizabeth Seckman 31 Comments

Spring is springing and today the blog thoughts are just tiny little buds poking up from the dirt that is my brain...

So here they are...random thoughts in  random colors of perfection...

  • I have not and will not die or lose blessings from God for not forwarding, liking, or reposting scripture. We're tighter than that. He gets me, I get Him. We've moved past the I <3 God all over my notebook to prove it's real. 
  • After a whole weekend of Jersey Shore I figured it out...Snookie is an adult trapped in a five year old's body, with a five year old's brain, and a five year old's fashion sense. But we all love five year olds, right?
  • Yet another epiphany struck...I commented to hubby..  "Mike the Situation (of Jersey Shore) isn't all bad." He quickly scoffed and informed me I was lucky he married me or I would have ended up with a real fixer upper pain in the, um, rear. Revelation? He doesn't even realize he WAS my renovation, but tis all right...let him think he was born with it. 
  • Spent the weekend trying (and mostly failing) to get the hang of Twitter. Thought I was tweeting, but instead I was private messaging some guy I have never met. He probably thinks I'm a stalker. I am expecting either a restraining order or roses to arrive today. 
  • Joined Pinterest. Got a cookie recipe, yay! But then wondered, now what do I do? Add it to Twitter category.
  • Signed up for Goodreads. Sweated over what paradigm I would execute in my book reviews, then it occurred to me that I'm not being paid to be Siskel and Ebert and just started tossing stars this way and that. Done with books I'm reading...now what the heck do I do here?
  • Finally, my family was like WHY? Why are you on these sites (and griping) if you don't GET them? Because sillies...Rachelle said to do it. And who's Rachelle, you ask? She's Rachelle Gardner of Books and Such and she's been my agent for years...though she doesn't know it and I don't ever pay her...but her blog is my instruction manual. If you have never checked it out...I say it's a do...she can be your super secret agent too...for free. Just click HERE.

Have a great week...catch you in the comments. :)

31 comments:

Make Your Best Move...Hollywood Style!

9:22 AM Elizabeth Seckman 40 Comments

Good Morning!!

Some more blog fun!!
  Kyra Lennox and Rachel Schieffelbien are hosting the    
WiP: The Movie!!

So, here is the challenge...that little gem you're sweating over right now? How is the movie (hehe, we ARE dreamers!!) playing out in your head?

My current WiP is, of course, a romantic tale...but with this one I am throwing in some kidnapping....murder...a hot heiress...and an even hotter shadow op/ former Marine.

Wipe off the drool...we'll get to Mr. and Mrs Hottie in a sec...first I have some end of week bizness to wrap up...

This week I was also tagged in the Lucky 7 Meme by Rachel. The official rules are: go to chapter 7, 7th paragraph down, and share 7 lines. Well, me being the rebel that I am (and NOT having seven done!)...I am sharing the first 7 lines of the opening chapter....then I will...drum roll please...announce my movie stars and my theme song...I know, I know...the Academy is jealous!



            As Faith crested the final hill, she stopped.  The back lawn was her favorite place on the estate. Lush green grass rolled to the low rock wall that spanned the entire of edge of the property and seemed to go on for miles. Untended ivy and rose hips surrounded it in natural perfection. It reminded her of Robert Frost’s New England. She could sit on the wall and watch the rolling Atlantic for hours and hours and never get bored. The lawn felt like more of a refuge than the hulking stone mansion ever did.
But not tonight. 



Now, for my hero...I can't let my niece Tabitha down...I'd have to get that Tatum Channing...ooops I mean Channing Tatum...see that guy makes my brain melt and I go acting like Mickey Koopman!!


 Now just to keep my little Tabitha from suffering an eternal hell for adultery...I pick Mr. Tatum's real life wife, Jenna Dewan, to play Faith (Sorry Tabitha, I know, I know....I'm a kill joy!)





And for the song? I think Enrique had my needs in mind when he wrote it...









Did I wrap the week up?

Oh no!! I almost forgot...I also need to thank Sara at Cutest Landing for giving me this award!

Now if only I knew what a Liebster was...










40 comments:

On Going Public...

10:11 AM Elizabeth Seckman 15 Comments

As I watch the drama with Rush Limbaugh (he called the law student a prostitute...if you haven't heard, just turn on any news program for the deets) and I thought of my own writing career.

Hmmm...chick is psycho you say?

Well, here's the thing. We as writers are inserting ourselves into the public eye. And when you do that, you better get ready to take it on the chin. There will be meanies who will rip on you and your work with absolutely no concern for your feelings. We are now writers...not humans.

But remember, we asked for it. We stepped into the public eye and it's not like facebook where we can choose our friends and block our critics. It's real life. Be ready to wear the big girl (or boy) pants because we can't be victim and conqueror at the same time.

My advice to Sandra Fluke...accept the apology, flip the bird, and move on. To my fellow writers...Got a hater? Flip the bird and write on.








15 comments:

Trends vs. Style...

10:13 AM Elizabeth Seckman 29 Comments

Okay, so how many of us have heard this from Mom, "If everybody else was jumping off a cliff, would you want to too?"

Do we chase the latest trend or hope that the style we were born with and tweak to a comfortable perfection is good enough?





It's a tough choice. And we must remember, walking a mile (or 45 feet) in someone else's shoes could be hazardous...or in the least downright hilarious!

29 comments:

11:40 AM Elizabeth Seckman 19 Comments



It may be raining and flooding in West Virginia, but here on my blog, it's bright and shiny. Ahh, summer, you're just around the corner, right?


I just got this blog award from Kyra Lennon over at Write Here, Write Now.  (Kyra is hosting the WiP Movie Blog Fest....click right HERE to sign up!) 


Thanks Kyra! I love your blog. It has that British tone of elegance...makes me want to sip tea and have a crumpet (a crumpet is edible, right, Kyra?)


So, here's how it works:



The rules are to:
-Thank the person who gave it to you. (see above!)
-Write a post about it.
-Pass it on.
-Answer the questions below.

  1. Favorite Color?   pink....I'm such a girl!
  2. Favorite Animal? Dogs, they are angels on earth
  3. Favorite Number? 7...though it hasn't helped me win the lottery...yet
  4. Favorite (non-alcoholic) drink? Diet Coke (and did you hear it's linked to heart attacks...I've been having chest pains ever since I heard)
  5. Facebook or Twitter?  Facebook. I really just don't get Twitter. Still waiting to buy the "Twitter for Dummies" hand book.
  6. My passion? My kids....my dad once joked I wasn't raising my children, I was developing them.  
  7. Getting or Giving presents? Funny that I should make this a complicated answer...BUT...I like to give to people I know will be grateful and pleased. I loathe giving to the bitchy and difficult. As far as getting a gift? That's easy...I enjoy presents from anyone....my address is...just joking... 
  8. Favorite pattern? plaid. I love it and I don't know why! I also love toile (it just took me three minutes to google that and make sure it was spelled correctly...for the record, it's not spelled twal) 
  9. Favorite day of the week? Mondays (not really, just seeing if you're still reading) 
  10. Favorite flower? flower tops (you know when your kids are little and they never get the stem, just the top...so sweet and goes by so quickly!) 
And now to pass on this pretty award!


Emily King
Kelley Lynn
Krystin Przybyla
Ashley Nixon
And I certainly shall not forget the always upbeat....Frost Lord (okay, so I am also curious to see the irony of the pretty little flower under Frost Lord's gray goth king) 













19 comments:

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