Written Creations, LLC

I’m not sure why I’ve taken so long to do this, but I have finally created a business page on Facebook for Written Creations.  I’ve been using Facebook for about two years now for a personal page to connect with friends and family.  I’ve enjoyed it, but I have resisted creating a business page.

Since I am in the habit of checking Facebook more than Twitter these days, I’m hoping that the Facebook page of Written Creations will be much more frequently updated.  My schedule has changed these last few months and I am paring down extras.  So, in an effort to be more collaborative and keep folks updated, I’m now switching primarily to Facebook for communicating rather than Twitter.  Ideally, I’d keep up with both, but I know my limits and what I can do while still being able to get my work accomplished for clients.

All that said, be sure to stop by and check out Written Creations on Facebook.  I can’t promise that it will make you rich or lose 20 pounds, but I can promise that your readership will be much appreciated!

My daughter has slept well from the beginning of her life.  Of course she’d wake up in the early days to eat a time or two at night, but she has always been good at putting herself to sleep.  From the second month or so on, she’d fall asleep best on her own rather than with us holding her.  Sometimes she’d talk herself to sleep, but nothing dramatic.

Then came this week.  She will be seven months old on Sunday.  I’m not sure if she’s more aware of being alone or if she’s teething, but she screams bloody murder when we lay her down at night.  She does fine with naps.  So, after two nights of trying to console her and only making it worse, last night I knew that I needed to just leave her be.  I decided to give it 15 minutes.

We put her down.  The screaming started.  My husband closed her door so she wouldn’t hear us, but we could sure hear her.  I sat in the hallway.  I just couldn’t bring myself to go to the living room and watch television or something.  I shed some of my own tears as my heart broke for my baby girl crying so hard.  I prayed for her.  I prayed for me.  I asked God to comfort her as He could since I couldn’t.  I asked Him to give me strength and guidance to do and know what is best for her.

Within 10 minutes, she settled down and was fast asleep.  I was relieved.  My husband, who had been online looking for solutions, was relieved.  Then I started thinking.  I had worried that she felt abandoned by us.  I knew this was one of those times where she would never understand that as much as she was hurting, I was hurting for her even more.  That’s part of parenthood.

Then I realized that must be how it is for God sometimes.  I have had times where I felt like He abandoned me or wasn’t doing what I thought made since for Him to do.   Dealing with my daughter made me realize that He has never left me, just like I would never leave her.  He sat in the hallway and cried with me and for me.  His Son prayed for me.  They never forgot me or left me alone, but They knew that I needed to go through those difficult times to come out better and stronger in the end.  Just like I know my daughter will realize that she can fall asleep and all will be well, so have They known that I had to cry my tears and go through trials to come up stronger with even greater faith.

I am thankful that I have a God who will never abandon me.  I’m thankful, too, that I have a God who will help me to grow through hard times even when it breaks His own heart to do so just because it’s what is best for me.

I admit that I am not a person who thrives on change.  Some people do, but for the most part, I am a fan of routine.  Granted, every day is different in what I am working on, but my routine is relatively the same.  Even my daughter has a basic routine these days.  She, actually, is the one who got me thinking about change.  Sometimes I fight it — in both my work and personal lives.  Yet, when I embrace it, often the change is for the better.

I started thinking about this when we started giving my daughter food for the first time.  She started with rice cereal and then oatmeal a few weeks ago.  This week she had her six-month checkup and we got the all clear from her pediatrician to start giving her baby foods.  He suggests we start with vegetables.  So, last night before bedtime, we sat down at the table and served up some pureed vegetables.

Evidently, she is not a fan of change either.  She had quite some interesting facial expressions for us.  First she was excited, but we could tell the moment she realized that stuff on her tongue was not her usual oatmeal.  Her brow furrowed.  She spit some right back out.  Her bib became an orange mess before all was said and done.

What I know that she doesn’t know is this change will lead to good things.  She has to get past the carrots to move on to other vegetables.  And she has to get past those to get to the more fun fruits.  And she has to get past all that to get to the meats.  And it goes on from there.  I wish I could explain to her that sometimes you have to eat carrots before you can get to the chocolate cake, but she’ll have to learn.

I continue to learn in life that embracing change isn’t always bad.  I have had a few projects and articles where I grimace with my first bite.  Then as I get more into them, I realize they aren’t so bad.  And they lead to other projects and articles.  One change at a time.  Last year I give up adjunct teaching for a variety of reasons.  I fretted about that change, wondering if I made the right decision.  A year later, I can say that I did.  I loved teaching and would like to teach again someday, but for now, I’m enjoying other projects that I wouldn’t have had time for if I was still teaching a couple of classes.  I’m in the middle of editing a Christian fiction novel that is compelling, yet consuming.  That change is good.

While I’ll think of my daughter as she adjusts to changes that are for her good, I’m also realizing that I don’t want her to fear change.  I want her to embrace life’s challenges, so I must set that example for her.  I will take risks and send query letters I’ve been putting off.  I will continue to embrace change — while I also continue to enjoy my routine.  I’m pretty sure that I can have both.

If you interview enough people for enough articles, you will most definitely come across those who want to see the article you’re quoting them in before it goes to print.  Staunch, hard-core journalists will tell you never let a source see an article ahead of time.  I agree that many times with hard news articles showing a source the article ahead of time is a bad idea.  But sometimes gray areas pop up.  Here are a few things to consider when someone asks to preview an article before it runs.

1. What kind of article is it?
If the article is a hard news article with various sources, letting a source preview it usually isn’t a good idea.  The sources who are bold enough to ask to preview a news article are generally those who want to make sure the article is completely slanted in their favor.  However, if the article is more of an advertorial that the source is paying for, then he or she should have a chance to read the article.  If the article falls somewhere in between and is not hard news, but it’s also not an advertorial, then that tends to go on a case-by-case basis.

2. Why does the person want to read the article?
If the source has given you lots of technical information that you don’t understand very well and they want to make sure the article is accurate, then I would say show it to them.  If they want to read the hard news article to change their quotes to sound better, then don’t show it to them. And understand that some sources will have been burned by the media before.  And especially if they are discussing a personal topic, they may be more hesitant to open up and give you information without having a chance to preview it first.  If that’s the case, I say go ahead and let them read it.  Chance are you’ll end up with more information and a better article in the long run.

3. Will they agree to your terms?
Sources who genuinely want to help you make sure you are accurate in an article will agree that they won’t ask for changes other than those for accuracy.  If they won’t agree to that, then letting them proofread hard news doesn’t work so well.

4. What does your editor say?
This is probably the most important question to consider.  When working for a publication, your editor always has the last word.  When I write advertorials, my editors tell me to let the client/source read the article first. At other points I’ve had people ask for a preview and instead of answering right away, I check with my editor first.  Different publications have different policies.  Most seem to fall along the guidelines I’ve listed above.  But, ultimately, when working on assignment checking with the editor before saying yes is best.

On Monday, Al Tompkins from Poynter blogged about the use of laptops in the college classroom.  He said some professors are tired of trying to compete with Facebook and other online distractions so they have banned laptops in their classrooms.

As someone who has taught a few classes at the collegiate level, this got my attention and got me thinking.  I have had students bring their laptops to class.  And I haven’t minded.  Are they always paying attention to me?  Probably not.  Do they need a laptop to distract them?  Certainly not.

In teaching a general studies English course at a local community college a couple of years ago, I had one student basically tell on another in an in-class writing assignment.  He wrote about how his classmate was surfing the Internet looking at skateboarding items during class.  I have to say, though, I didn’t much care.

The thing is, students don’t have to be in college.  They are choosing to be there.  And they are paying to be there.  Maybe it is because I have always been adjunct faculty and never on a tenure track, but I don’t feel responsible to make them learn.  I do, however, feel responsible to be prepared and do the best job I can to help them learn.  I love what I teach.  I love writing and researching.  I want to share that with students.

I must say in teaching at my alma mater, I’ve had more luck.  At Ball State University, I have taught journalism classes to journalism majors.  These students are in these classes because they want to pursue a career in the field.  They are more interested.  I still allow laptops.  And we work on computers.  Do I think that even in those classes no student with a laptop has ever wandered online for personal use during class lecture?  No.  I am realistic.

But, honestly, I think that hand-holding is not what should take place at the college level.  Banning laptops in the classroom doesn’t seem to be a solution to me.  It hinders students who can use them to more effectively take notes.  Responsible students will use laptops in a responsible manner.  Irresponsible students will only find other ways to distract themselves if they don’t have their laptop.

What do you think?

In the years that I’ve been freelancing, I’ve learned I don’t get sick days.  Deadlines are deadlines and I’m the only person to pick up the slack. True I can prioritize and do only what has to be done on certain days, but I don’t really get sick days.

As a mom, I’ve now learned about working through my daughter’s sick days.  Lexiana got her first cold over the weekend.  Honestly, cold is maybe too strong of a word to use.  Sniffles is probably a bit more accurate, but to this first-time mom she might as well have had the croup.  I think overall I did well with not freaking out, but I will admit I did place a call to her pediatrician on Monday morning to check in.  I’ve made sure she didn’t have a fever.  I’ve made sure she didn’t start wheezing.  And I’ve listened to make sure she is still breathing well.

And I’ve figured out how to work through this first cold.  I have utilized my multitasking skills, but I’ve also learned to get the most accomplished during her nap times (not all that different) so that during her awake times I have been able to snuggle with her a little extra.  I’ve learned to plan extra time for her to eat because, as I know from having a stuffy nose, eating with a cold is a challenge.

We are now on the downside of these sniffles.  She has a bit of a cough here and there.  But she’s not nearly so congested.  We have survived our first cold.  I managed to meet deadlines in spite of it.  I’m pretty sure we can conquer anything together!

At least that’s how I feel today.  We’ll see how I feel tomorrow on this roller coaster called motherhood.

Education is important.  That idea was pounded into my head as a child.  My parents expected both my older brother and me to go to college.  We both expected we’d go.  And we both did; each of us earning a bachelor’s and master’s degree.  When I graduated with my master’s in journalism I figured I was done with my education.  In some ways I was, in other ways I wasn’t.

I realized quickly that learning new things is something I enjoy a lot.  And selecting journalism as a career feeds right into that love.  I get to explore and learn about all sorts of new things.  Sometimes I explore topics I’m interested in to begin with.  Sometimes I explore topics I don’t know anything about.  Whether I knew much about the topic ahead of time, I am still happy to learn new things.

This week, for example, I learned about how to pick out a good mattress.  It’s not earth-shattering information, but I learned things I didn’t know before.  That information will come in handy next time I make a mattress purchase.   A few months ago, I learned how aviation security professionals across the globe use behavior analysis to identify security threats.  Though I have no plans of going to work for TSA, that information at least was intriguing and gives me some insight into common human behaviors and signs to look for that someone has malicious intent.

Even seemingly redundant articles can teach me things.  For a couple of years now I’ve been writing a feature article for the Homes section of my local newspaper.  Real estate companies pay for advertising and get these articles written.  I go in and write up a house a week or every other week that I’m assigned.  I write it as a walk-through.  I have learned what features increase the value of a home.  I’ve learned what constitutes a bedroom in a home (it has to have a closet).  I’ve learned what I will look for in my next home.

I have been finished with school for eight years now, and yet I never stop learning.  I don’t want to ever stop learning.  It’s a perk of my job!

“Balance” is one of those words that modern mothers bandy about.  We talk about balancing work and family.  But, I daresay that few of us really feel we are 100 percent balanced between the two on any given day.

I’ve realized over these last couple of months of working with a little one that one day I feel balanced and the next day I feel out of whack.  It’s a daily struggle.  Working from home leaves me in that gray area in between stay-at-home moms and working-outside-the-home moms.  Mostly that’s a good thing.  On the good days, I realize that I can still do the two jobs I love — the writing one that I’ve been doing for years and the mom one that I just started.  On the bad days, I feel torn between the two.  I struggle to spend enough time not only taking care of my daughter but also enjoying her while still meeting the deadlines.

Everyday I learn more and more about balance.  Right now, for example, I am typing this while a sleepy girl hangs out in my lap.  Yesterday I wrote an article on my laptop while sitting on the floor beside her as she did tummy time.  This morning I did two phone interviews while she took her morning nap.  A few days ago, I let a work call go to voicemail as I fed her.  It’s all about balance.

Will the balance that I find work for every mom who’s trying to live her life while still being a mother?  No.  Will it work for me always?  Of course not.  Right now, I honestly think it’s easier because my daughter is not yet mobile.  She will change.  I will change.  And we’ll make it work together.

We take it one day at a time!

Being a freelancer means I can be mobile.  I have worked a variety of places from hospital waiting rooms to the parking lot of a library in a small Tennessee town.  At home, I would almost always work in my home office.  However, having a baby to look after these days has changed that.  Now I still work in my home office some, but I also do quite a bit of work from my loveseat so I can watch my baby in her bouncy seat napping or on her play mat batting at toys.  At first I struggled to maintain productivity in a more constant nontraditional environment and have learned a few things.

I need a to do list. In my office I have a white board upon which I write tasks and appointments for the day.  I keep track of most of the same information in Outlook.  In my living room, I don’t have that.  I found the easiest way to streamline and keep on track was going old school with a smallish notebook.  I have a page per day.  I write down appointments/meetings and list everything that needs to be done each day for work and home.  This little notebook keeps me on track and organized.  It fits in my purse for when I’m out and about.

I need a way to organize paperwork. In my home office I can often get inundated with paperwork.  It piles up before I realize it.  Working between my office and living room makes it even worse.  I realized I had a paper trail everywhere.  I’m slowly converting to my new solution.  I still use file folders.  Instead of putting them in my office where I have to try and remember to get them and put them back up, I have a tote bag with folders for my current projects.  The bag can go with me back to the office or to the living room or anywhere that I’m working.  I also keep envelopes for check stubs, paid bills and bills to be paid in the same bag.  Ideally I should process all this information as it comes in, but lately that’s been a challenge.  This way I at least have it all together when I do have time to sit down and log it all.

I need to have things within reach. For various tasks that I do throughout the day, I can be tied to one place.  Having everything together helps keep me on track.  I keep the notebook and work bag nearby, of course, but I also make sure other items I need are handy like the telephone with its headset and a bottle of water.

Working in a non-traditional environment has its challenges, but it is most definitely possible with a bit of planning and organization.  I’m sure that I will learn a few more things along the way as well!

Since Valentine’s Day is approaching this weekend, I figured this is a good time to talk about the role a spouse plays in running a successful business.  Do you need a spouse to be successful?  No.  But, everyone needs support.  And those of us who are married really need support from our spouses.  I am blessed to be married to an incredibly supportive man.

When my husband and I met, I was 14 and he was 16.  Our dreams began to grow together.  By the time I was out of high school, he knew my dream was to pursue writing full-time.  We married when I was 20 and only halfway through college.  His support began while I finished first my undergraduate and then graduate degrees in journalism.  He understood when I needed to study rather than go see a movie.  He took care of us working full-time and providing health insurance.  He encouraged me to stick with it when I got tired.  I could have finished college without his emotional support, but it would have been so very difficult.

After graduate school when I felt led to start my own writing business, he was the first in line to support me.  I remember telling him what I wanted to do.  He basically asked why I had taken so long to do this.  He knew my passions.  He even supported my decision to freelance full-time, knowing that I would have sporadic (and menial!) income in the beginning.

In the early years, he encouraged me to keep sending my work out.  He listened to me bemoan the fact that I may never get another paying gig again.  (Writers struggle with self-confidence!)  He was my sounding board for ideas.  He listened when I was bursting with new information I had learned for an article, even when he wasn’t all that interested in the subject matter.  He challenged me to set goals and work to achieve them.

As my career got more established, he would often sit and talk with me to assess where my career was going.  I had a few times where I undertook work that didn’t pan out.  He would gently encourage me to let a client go when it just wasn’t working.

These days, he still does all of those things.  He challenges me to be greater.  He supports me in my work.  He listens when I tell him my latest research that I’m excited about.  He gives me advice, yet isn’t pushy.  He is my biggest cheerleader and greatest fan.

I would say without a doubt that I couldn’t be doing what I’m doing now, living my dream, without the wonderful man to whom I’m married.