Life of A Writer: June 2007

Sick Day

June 28, 2007 Labels: articles by misti sandefur, coffee break for writers, news 0 comments

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Nope, not me… my laptop. It seems my laptop caught a nasty virus yesterday. I searched Google for “create crosswords,” and when I click on one of them (I think it was the fourth or fifth result) my computer started going nuts with pop-ups. Unfortunately, those pop-ups put a Trojan in my computer, and I spent all day and all night (until 4am) trying nurse my laptop back to good health. When I was unsuccessful in removing the Trojan, I had to break down and restore it back to its factory settings this evening. (Thank God for that feature; it saved me money!) I am thankful that I backed-up all my files to CD. I guess I’ve had so many unexpected viruses over the years that I’ve finally learned my lesson: Back-up those files often (usually every night before bed). Needlesstosay, I will just find another fun activity for the July edition of Coffee Break for Writers, because I’m really not in the mood to click on any more sites that help you create crosswords for your Web site or e-zine. After the July edition, though, I just may search the JavaScript site I visit often. I hear there is a JavaScript that will let you create a crossword puzzle for your Web site. You see, I’m considering putting Coffee Break for Writers on the Internet now instead of sending it as a PDF. Therefore, I will need a crossword puzzle for a Web site.

Aside from the frustration of trying to get rid of the virus that attacked my computer so I could return to writing and making more money to pay my bills, I fortunate enough to still make some cash. Turns out I was paid for some articles I sold while my laptop was on its sick bed. These articles sold as reprints, but just in case you haven’t read them yet, the links follow (click their titles to read them):

Buyers Guide to Renters Insurance
Indoor Amusement Parks

It has been a long two days so I think I’m going to get some rest now. Until next time, take care and don’t forget to back-up your files. :)

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Catching Up

June 22, 2007 Labels: coffee break for writers, for writers, news, writers, writing 0 comments

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Phew! (Wipes sweat from brow.) It has been a long day for me here in Southern Illinois. It's now 1:58 a.m. and I'm pooped. I have finally completed my to-do list that incurred while I was on vacation. In fact, I just finished the last item on that list: Responding to submissions sent to Coffee Break for Writers. I managed to reply to all of them. Some submissions and queries were sent before I went on vacation; some were sent during my vacation and more after. So, if you sent a submission or query to Coffee Break for Writers between the dates of May 5 to June 22, then you may want to check your e-mail; there could be good or bad news waiting for you. If it's bad news (a rejection), then there's an explanation as to why it was rejected. A few did not receive a reply, and the reason is because your submission didn't follow the writers' guidelines listed on our Web site. If the submissions don't follow our guidelines, we delete them without replying. It's amazing how many writers don't follow guidelines. As I've said many times in the past, read and follow guidelines for ANY publication before. We received submissions of reprints published too recently (see our "reprints" in our writers' guidelines), attachments that were not in PDF format, submissions under our minimum word count (the majority of those were way under), submissions that didn't follow the AP Style rules, and finally, we also received submissions that weren't written using the English language. Most of these came from writers in the UK. We gladly welcome submissions from everyone, however, if you're from another country, we clearly state in our guidelines that articles must be written in the English language. What we mean is in the UK they write the word check as "cheque." That is not what we want; we want it written as "check."

If you haven't subscribed to our free e-zine for writers yet, then I encourage you to do so today. We have some great articles coming up. Our free e-zine for writers even includes fun things related to writing (quizzes, crosswords, word searches, etc.). Some of our upcoming articles are grammar-related articles, a great article related to research and many more.

Well, I hate to leave good company, but I think I'm going to hit the sack and get some rest. Tomorrow's a new day, and with my to-do list done, I need my beauty sleep so I can write some more articles and work on the second edition of On the Net Resource Guide for Writers. Until next time, take care of yourself and God bless! Oh yes, I almost forgot… Happy Summer! Stay cool and drink lots of water if you're outdoors working.

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Back From Vacation

June 19, 2007 Labels: family, graduation, smoky mountains, vacation 0 comments

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The Smoky Mountains

Yes, it has been a while since I blogged. I went on a four day vacation that started on May 7 and sadly it looks as if my vacation is over. Not only is my vacation over, but my to-do list has increased. Ah, yes, that's what happens when you go on vacation… you return to a large to-do list…LOL… I've managed to reply to my fan mail and other e-mails, but I still have some submissions that came in for Coffee Break for Writers that I need to read and reply to. If you sent a submission for the e-zine, hang in there and I'll try to reply soon.

I must say, it's nice to be home. I missed my bed and my pillows. I meant to take my pillows with me on our trip, but I forgot them. It never fails; I always forget something. :) We stayed at the Super 8 Motel in Garner, North Carolina and I must say the bed was not that comfortable. Of course, no bed is as comfortable as your own, right? The toilet paper… well, it was what we country folks refer to as "John Wayne toilet paper."

Other than an uncomfortable bed and "John Wayne toilet paper," the service was satisfactory. I will be writing a review on the hotel soon. I also plan to write a few articles on the attractions (things to do and see). We drove through the Smoky Mountains and they were beautiful (see pics above). Since the drive was so long, and we had to be in North Carolina before my step-daughter's graduation, we only drove through the Smoky Mountains. However, one day I would love to return and explore all that the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee has to offer.

The Graduate

The graduation was nice but certainly different to me. I'm from a small Southern Illinois town where graduations only include a few students (around 30 or a little more), but in a city like North Carolina, the graduation ceremonies are different and include more than 100 graduates. My step-daughter's high school graduation was held outdoors and it was HOT! There were so many people in attendance that if you didn't get a front row seat, you could barley see the area where the graduates received their diplomas. They did have an area where parents and other relatives could stand to take pictures, and I stood in that area to get the picture of my step-daughter. After I took her picture, I returned to my seat with my husband and step-son. Basically, it was a long, hot day, but now my step-daughter will begin her life in the Navy. She should be leaving for boot camp in a week or so. She seems to have her goals all planned as well. We're all very proud of her and wish her the very best in whatever career she chooses.

Enough said for tonight, as I have to catch up on that long to-do list now. I will blog more later.