Rambling Prose: Writers Write

To Blog or Not to Blog

I've been dithering. Not uncommon for me, just ask my husband. I have a gazillions things I want to do and not enough time in the day to get them done, not because I can't but because I dither. That isn't to say I don't get things done, it's just that I must wade through the litter of dither to get there.

I haven't  always been that way. I am by nature a take-charge woman, and not always a sensitive one, so Katie-bar-the-door or I'll run over you. I don't mean to, but focus at some point becomes obsession. An agenda is meant to be followed.

I've written about this before, so I won't go into detail here, but a to do list at this point in my life is essential. (Check here for prior post). There are days when even a to do list doesn't help. Sometimes I stare at it, my eyes glaze over and I turn to my iPad and play Word W.E.L.D.E.R. Work? You're kidding, right? Who am I trying to impress? What do I think will happen to the thousands of words I've written and published over the years? 

So begins procrastination and self-doubt. I have to give myself a swift kick in the posterior to get off the pity pot and move on.  

 

So What?

 The dither deal today is that I'm seriously thinking about going back to publishing an e-zine. I did on off a year or so ago, but I didn't have the patience to give it time to build a readership, and I couldn't figure out how to make money at it. This is nothing unusual. I've done a fair number of the things in my life that either lost money or never made a dime. I guess getting and being and maintaining a rich lifestyle isn't a driving factor behind my choices.

So the dilemma is this. I've been working diligently at building a web presence with the idea of selling my books: Tiger Lilly, Not Just Another Day, The Ballad of Bawdy McClure, and Future Imperfect. Why I believed creating three blogs and maintaining a website would accomplish this I'll never know. To my knowledge not one single book has been sold as a consequence of all this effort. It doesn't help that two of them are sci-fi, one is daily devotional and another is contemporary fiction about family relationships. Does anyone see the problem here? Try creating SEO protocol for that mess.

Back to the Topic 

I stopped publishing the e-zine about eight months ago. For the effort I was putting into it, I saw no measurable indicators that any but a handful of family and friends were actually reading it. I'm doing the blogs because... Well there you go, I'm not sure why I'm doing the blogs. I THINK it's building my web presence and my author platform, however I'm seeing no measurable indicators to prove that it is.

Bear with me folks, I'm on a ramble here, not to mention a dither.

One of the blogs is tied to my radio show, Writer's Block, which airs each Tuesday morning at 9 a.m MST. It is a program about writing and writers. I invite authors (published and want to be published)  to be interviewed in-studio or as call-in guests. Following the program I summarize the discussion and do a review of the program in my Writer's Block blog.

Joy inthe Morning is a blog of brief inspirational readings or poems. It is tied to my spirituality and will likely lead to a second book of daily devotionals.

The blog you're reading is the third blog. Rambling Prose is about what ever strikes my fancy, kind of like my now dormant e-zine, Happenstance, life happens. Even so, it doesn't have the flexibility of an e-zine, or if it does I haven't figured out how to make it work.

Still with me?

And then there is the Sharon Vander Meer website, which remains fairly static with general information, only updated once a week with links to Writer's Block program summaries.

Coming from print media I still think in terms of graphic design, popping pix and writing to section demands. Is it food and lifestyle? Does it fit in features? Sports? Trends? Books? Travel? Commentary?

For what I want to do, an e-zine makes more sense because my interests vary and as much as I want to be a writing machine punching out books by the dozens, the truth is my curiosity and dithering eclectic tastes do not contribute to finishing yet another manuscript, and I'm not much good at marketing the books I've already written! Still, I forge ahead.

And – this is a biggie folks – I love talking to writers. I enjoy promoting their work. It tickles me silly to publish words crafted by talented people. I enjoy reading and doing book reviews. 

That doesn't  leave a lot of time for additional writing, but I forge ahead.

Now What?

So, the questions for me are, "Do I continue to maintain three blogs and a website – none of which are doing what I want them to do (sell books), or do I go back to e-zine publishing creating something on the order of a literary journal? And if I do, is it possible to have an income stream?"

The question for you as a follower or reader is, what do you think? Check out the published e-zines at this link and the one above, and give me your feedback in the comments section below. I'm sort of looking for a better understanding of what will work in the web environment we are now living in. To blog or not to blog, that is the question.

Share this blog with those whom you think will be interested using one of the share buttons below.

A Healthy Life

Stepping Out With Your Friends 

Photo by Carol Linder, also a walker that day.

If you ask experts to identify the single best exercise you will get a ton of answers, but most agree that if you aren’t into exercise as a discipline, walking is a good alternative. Some even say it’s the best alternative.

In an article in the New York Times by Gretchen Reynolds, she quotes Michael Joyner, M.D. from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. “I personally think that brisk walking is far and away the single best exercise.” He based his comment on work done by Hiroshi Nose, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of sports medical sciences at Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine in Japan. 

The article went on to state that, “Walking has also been shown by other researchers to aid materially in weight control. A 15-year study found that middle-aged women who walked for at least an hour a day maintained their weight over the decades. Those who didn’t gained weight.”  

As a gentle, low-impact exercise walking is accessible and can become a companionable social activity. It can also inspire you to become more conscientious out fitness and health. That has proven to be the case for our church healthy lifestyle initiative. We started Getting Fit Together in March opening it up to the public with the idea of establishing small group activities that would provide motivation and support. The idea was to have a weight loss group, nutrition and cooking group and fitness groups across the spectrum, and develop other groups based on need and participation. 

The walking groups have proven to be the biggest draw. It’s something everyone can do and it works. Here are a few reasons why (from the Mayo Clinic website):

Benefits of walking

• Lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol)
• Raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol)
• Lower your blood pressure
• Reduce your risk of or manage type 2 diabetes
• Manage your weight
• Improve your mood
• Stay strong and fit

“All it takes to reap these benefits is a routine of brisk walking. It doesn't get much simpler than that. And you can forget the ‘no pain, no gain’ talk. Research shows that regular, brisk walking can reduce the risk of heart attack by the same amount as more vigorous exercise, such as jogging.”

Motivation

If the obvious benefits don't ring the bell for you, think about walking with a group. It's beneficial in many ways. 

• When you know someone may be waiting for you, you are more apt to get up and get with it. 
• Walking with a group challenges you to increase your intensity or the distance you walk. 
• Group participation may motivate you to walk in marathons or become a runner. 
• You may be inspired to start a cardio program. 

Ultimately it’s about overall fitness and health. That first step is your journey toward a healthier you. These links are great sources of motivation and getting started walking for your health.

http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/guide/walking-for-exercise

http://www.thewalkingsite.com/

http://www.walking.org/

Hometown USA, Las Vegas, NM

Lights, Camera, Action!

Filming on Bridge Street, Las Vegas, NM

Once again our little town is undergoing a transformation. One area is being recreated into a '50s version of the other Las Vegas, the one with glitz and glamour, at least on the surface. In the '50s there was a dark force in control of gaming, and prostitution was a way of life for women whose dreams of stardom ended in disillusionment and sorrow. The old-style mob influence is long gone. Corporate flamboyance drives the economy now, but it can still be a tawdry business with gambling addiction stealing people's futures. 

The transformation on Bridge Street in Las Vegas, N.M., is for a television pilot about the '50s in the town that never sleeps. I have no idea what the plot line is, but I don't imagine it is about the sunny side of life.

The bright side – and the down side – for the only Las Vegas that counts for people in business for themselves, is what it does to the bottom line. Some benefit greatly; others wonder if they can survive the unfortunate interruptions in business access. As a small business it is difficult to take a hit of any kind.

Still, there is spin-off from the movie industry that cannot be denied. It opens the doors of Las Vegas, N.M. to people who have never been here before. It brings exposure and opportunity in unexpected ways.

If you are reading this and live in Las Vegas or in the area, make a special trip to Bridge Street/Plaza and see what's going on. It is a fascinating process to watch. While you’re there, pop into one of the stores and drop a few dollars. Restaurants, clothing and shoes stores, book stores, galleries and more, they're all open ready to serve you.

If you are reading this and you don't live in the area, come on down! It's the sweetest little town around, loaded with history and great things to see and do. Las Vegas, New Mexico may not have glitz and glamour, but it does have down-home hospitality, northern New Mexico chic, and many unique shopping experiences, including those which feature local artists.