Traveling with cats

So my husband and I have two darling cats and every year they make the grand trip 2.5 hours to my parents house for Christmas. The old girl has done this two times before but the kitten is new to the trip. We are currently about 1/3 of the way there and have already learned some important life lessons.

– Bringing two cats does not make it easier. The cats will not keep each other company. They do not comfort one another. At all.
– Covering the cat carrier only makes the young one more agitated. Agitated cats yowl  continually.
– If there is a place you do not want your cat,  it will gravitate there like debris caught in the pull of a black hole.
– You can’t drown out the cats by turning up the music. They take this as a challenge.
– Eventually,  if your cat will give up. Don’t expect this to be calming for you or the cat. The cat may go completely limp and you may have to take a moment to make sure your feline hasn’t shaken this mortal coil.
– A cat, when stressed,  sheds a lot. If the older one isn’t bald by the time we reach our destination it will be a miracle.

I am sure there is still much to learn from the fur babies currently having a staring contest in the back seat. The elder isn’t in a carrier and seems to be mocking the younger in her tiny plastic prison.

I shall continue to watch how this little social hierarchy works out. Merry Christmas and Happy holidays.

AI

Contract Social Media – Becoming an Authoritative Voice in an Unknown Land

It’s a brave new world, my friends.

Since Nov. 8, 2014, I have been providing social media services (mostly Twitter and blog content) for Hogg Mechanical, a company  based in Kitchener, Ont. When I began this contract I wrote a post on this blog about my fear and how it kept me motivated. After two weeks of hard work and a lot of research I finally feel like I have a better idea of what I need to do to create effective content. I have received positive feedback from the company and am having a meeting to discuss a more aggressive approach to their social media campaign. I would say these are all very good signs that I am doing what is expected of me or more.

There is one hitch, though: I still know very little about HVAC as a trade.

This was the basis of my fear when I took over the social media contract; I was worried that my writing would show lack of knowledge. I was tweeting and blogging for a company with over 130 years of experience – I had to sound like I knew my stuff. Knowing this, I started researching. Over the past two weeks I have learned more about this trade than I ever expected in a lifetime. I read, I searched infographics, I went to the library, I Googled every little thing. I checked and double checked my information. It was stressful as sin but it worked. I was able to produce meaningful content with an air of familiarity that I didn’t quite yet feel.

The next thing I did was relied on my social media know-how. I know people react more to funny tweets than serious. I know a picture of a puppy in a parka will get more retweets than plain text. I know that people like bright infographics and links to interesting videos. Sifting through the junk can be a trial but it is so rewarding once you find that perfect piece of media.

I started interacting, asking questions on the twitter feed and on Facebook. I inquired what people wanted to know more about. Crowdsourcing gave me at least a month worth of blog topics.

Relying on your skills is wildly important. Research can’t be topped when it comes to the hard facts and as always, remember that social media is exactly that – social. Question your audience so you can give them what they want.

It has been a crazy couple weeks but I wouldn’t trade them for anything. I am writing with passion and confidence while learning about something I never would otherwise.

I would love to hear your stories about new contract jitters! Leave a comment or reach out to me on Twitter (@idlehands85) and share your experiences!

AI

Writing – openening the emotional spigot

It happens every time I start writing a large amount regardless of age, experience or time with pen in hand.

What am I talking about?

The emotions that come with writing, of course!

Any creative mind can tell you that art in every form is a sort of emotional endeavour. The emotions bubble to the surface and sometimes have the unfortunate tendency to boil over.

I recently broke months of writer’s block and am living again in the creative head space. This is wonderful in terms of productivity but horrible for my sleep patterns. When creativity hits I have to get up and write. It seems my most productive hours are still between midnight and 2:00 a.m. Worse still, once I have finished my writing I immediately start running it over in my head, figuring out how to evoke the proper tone and emotion from the piece. By the time I get my brain to settle down I am exhausted.

And when I write about emotional events…

When I am creative I open myself up to a lot of energies, both positive and negative. I am extremely empathetic and find that when working on emotionally charged pieces, happy or sad, i tend to strongly mirror those emotions. This week has been a sad one with the passing of W.O. Patrice Vincent and Cpl. Nathan Cirillo in two brutal acts of violence. The country has reeled and I have been crafting a piece about the cultural mosaic that is Canada (moreover how one bad piece does not ruin the entire picture) and have have had to step back again and again as news and pictures flood the media. My heart breaks for these families. As well I have been working on an essay about the impact of being bullied as a teenager. This piece was very cathartic but has also left me very depressed after looking at the plights of my younger self. Both are emotionally charged pieces and both have caused me to lose sleep.

My point is every time I put pen to paper I end up opening my heart a little wider; exposing myself a little bit more. It comes part and parcel with my ability to write. The proof is in the rambling paragraphs you just read; I am writing while mentally working through the first draft of my bullying essay. It is making me feel anxious, frustrated and scattered and that is translating directly into this blog post.

It is not a trait I can turn on and off and it can make life interesting, to say the least.

AI

Cirillo/Vincent article:

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/memorial-held-montreal-soldiers-patrice-vincent-nathan-cirillo-193539769.html

A/N The full bullying essay will be up once it has been subjected to the editing process (also known as the red pen of doom).

A poetic twist… or a twisted poet

For those who don’t know, my partner in crime is a composer who is constantly looking for inspiration. One of the issues he runs into on a fairly regular basis has to do with lyrics; more specifically, copyright issues. Matt likes to look to poetry for his choral inspiration and regularly falls into the trap of not being able to use a beautiful piece due to copyright law.

This issue has led to Matt haranguing me to write him some poetry to set to music. When I asked him if he had a topic in mind, his answer was “not having to pay royalties” (and before you get mad fellow writers, he was joking. I would get my cut not to mention the ability to call myself a choral lyricist). Well, this is what I came up with – the first two verses were off the cuff and sang at him from the opposite end of the couch – the rest was a in a love note for him the following morning. I would call this a second draft as I have gone through to change some wording and phrasing to better the flow:

(also, my strength is prose)

Roses are red,
Violets are pretty,
Please move me the hell
back into the city!

This town is too boring
This place so mundane,
I fear living out here
Will drive me insane.

I miss all the noise,
All the culture and rabble;
My idea of fun
Isn’t Sunday night Scrabble.

Please let’s just move
To somewhere less quiet
So you don’t have to sit
Through my one-woman riot.

So Please, do remember
It would be a pity
To have me stay here,
And not live in the city.

Check him out at www.matthewdonnellymusic.com

AI

Bits and drabbles, or how to start writing again (Writer’s block)

Any writer can point you to notebook on notebook of half-baked ideas and aborted plot lines that once showed promise but quickly lost steam. It’s a writer’s badge of honour and source of shame; we have all of these great ideas, but so few see their way to completion. I have countless journals spanning a decade and a half full of partially formed concepts and wild ramblings and I will admit, some of those ideas were downright atrocious. Some, though, have a degree merit and now that I am a few years removed from the initial concept, the ideas actually seem like a wonderful jumping-off point. I will promise that almost, if not all, of these ideas will never go farther than simple writing exercises but they are worth revisiting regardless.

Every writer takes a break between drafts – it helps to look at something with fresh eyes. It’s also why we have that brutally honest friend/ relative/ editor with the angry red pen look over our work. Fresh eyes make all the difference. If we can see something in a completely new light just by working through first and second drafts, why wouldn’t we be able to gain inspiration from ideas that previously ran into dead ends?

Writer’s block hits us all at inopportune times; when we want to write most is the exact moment that our creative minds go out to lunch. Next time this happens, visit some of your old notebooks or some abandoned stories on your hard drive. Take a look at these bits and drabbles and figure out why you thought the original concept deserved expansion. See what went right and what went wrong, then take the idea and write it down on a fresh sheet of paper (or in a new Word document) and see where it takes you. It will get you writing and maybe push you toward your next big idea.

I dealt with writer’s block for about six months this year (check the gap in my posts for an idea of the time frame) and have finally come out the other side. It took a lot of work and a lot of frustration (not to mention self-doubt) but I am here writing and that’s what is important. The stuff I have written recently has not been my best work – far from it, actually – but revisiting my past successes and failures and reviewing some of the things that didn’t work has helped me to get back on the horse, so to speak.

I hope this is helpful to some of my fellow writers. Good luck and never stop carrying your handy-dandy notebooks!

AI

In a coma

Today while I was driving to pick up a bit of lunch, I was nearly hit by a car that crossed the centre line. Thankfully, some quick manoeuvrings and a very close call later I was still breathing. My adrenaline was pumping, my heart was racing and I felt very “alive.”

This started me thinking: what if I hadn’t actually avoided the accident? In an alternate reality, what if I had been put into a coma due to the accident and the day-to-day that I was living was actually just a dream.

Then I thought, hey, that’s a story!

Then I wondered if this was a normal way to think…

… then I realized that I really didn’t care. I love how my brain creates these bizarre scenarios.

AI

Eww

Certain words carry a lot of context.

I have said before and will again that the English language, like all  languages, is able to convey so many different thoughts and feelings through a careful selection of words. To say that one is disappointed is very different from frustrated, angry or aggravated. While each word carries a tone of displeasure, the nuances make their meanings wildly different. Similarly, take an emotion like being happy. Saying that someone is happy is different from saying they are joyous, ecstatic or enthralled. Each word is a happy descriptor denoting different ranges within the emotion. Careful word choice has the power to evoke strong and very specific reactions from an audience.

On the same note, one word can mean so much. One word can break down into so many different meanings that are all encompassed in that one utterance. One such word is “Eww.” It’s just a three-letter word, an interjection, but it can carry such force that it is not a word to be taken lightly.

I recently heard a person of my acquaintance mutter this monosyllable under her breath regarding another human being. Initially I was surprised and a little angry at the sentiment, but as I thought about it, I became downright furious.

First off, she was talking about another human being; not garbage, a gross-looking spill or some excrement on the bottom of her shoe – a flesh-and-blood human being – moreover, one that she doesn’t really know. Judged on face value, this person chose to voice her distaste in one of the rudest ways I can imagine.

I am glad the other person did not hear this statement because I DO know the person and he is one of the sweetest, kindest, hardest-working men, not to mention a phenomenal husband and father. She made a knee-jerk reaction based on one instance using a very small but very strongl word.

Let me tell you what the term “Eww” brings to mind for me:

1. Distaste at something assaulting one of your five senses.
2. Dismissal of all other traits or –
3. An encapsulating statement taking into account all aspects of the person, place or thing.
4. A feeling of disgust and a want to remove the person, place or thing from your immediate area.

Eww, in this context, is all-encompassing and short-sighted. It does not take into account all of the things this man is but dismisses him on one or two traits that this woman found unappealing.

Words have the power to scar. To hear that said about yourself would be emotionally devastating; take it from the veteran of enough schoolyard abuse to be any psychologist’s dream cash-cow. Honestly, if I hadn’t had such support outside those situations, I would be a seriously broken person. I have been called ugly, fat, gross and any other plethora of nasty things. All of those things are summed up in “Eww.”

Awful.

Disliked.

Unwanted.

No one should have to deal with that kind of abusive language anywhere. The word may sound innocuous enough, but it carries some true weight.

Enough weight to make someone question themselves; to hate themselves.

I guess the point I am trying to make is that while a word may seem fairly banal, its impact can leave a lasting impression. Also, that some are two quick to judge with sweeping comments and strong statements that could seriously hurt others.

I look back and wish I had said something to this woman. Maybe next time she would think before passing judgement.

Words can be dangerous.

Carefully chosen words can have a huge impact.

Careless words can carry unexpected consequences.

So in writing, as in speech, choose your words carefully.

Back to writing – creepy is in the context

So, those that follows this blog have no doubt noticed a few months of inactivity. Simply put, some personal issues paired with some of the worst writer’s block I have ever suffered manage to make posting rather challenging. I am trying to write again. I won’t lie, I am toying with some ideas that I think, if executed properly, could be great…

… but that means writing again.

This is just something I splatted out onto the page earlier this evening. It is first draft; given a cursory glance for glaring typographical errors and nothing more. I would really, REALLY appreciate comments.

 

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Creepy is in the context

                Today I went to the local bookstore to browse and maybe pick up some new reading material. One thing to know about me: I am an obsessive hoarder of books. Honestly, it is a disease. The look, feel and smell of a book are simply unparalleled in my eyes. Any bibliophile will tell you there is no substitute. I do own an E-reader, but a little electronic gadget will never stop me from adding to my ever-expanding book collection.

                That said, bookstores are my holy land and every trip is a pilgrimage. I step through the doors and show my reverence – not through anything as overt as crossing myself or anointing myself at the fount– but by breathing in. The scent coming from the rows on rows of books is enough for me.

                I immediately took to traversing the store, visiting my favourite sections and pulling random texts off the shelves when suddenly, nature called. I made my way to the rest room to do what needed to be done. While taking my pit stop, I started to indulge in the available scriptures; the writing on the wall, if you will.

                For those that have not frequented women’s restrooms in the past, the graffiti can range anywhere from a scribbled “Kaylee +Josh 4ever” that has obviously been scratched out with a Sharpie after forever just seemed a bit too long to platitudes about life, the universe and womanhood. As I said before, bookstores are my Mecca and it is interesting to get some insight into my fellow biblio-worshippers through their own writing.

                The wall in this bookstore lavatory is scribbled with a lot of female empowerment, concepts of love and relationships à la Jane Austen, rebuttals scratched down in feminist outrage and similar anonymous musings. Essentially, what you would expect in any women’s bathroom stall. I was having fun reading through my street-lit session when my eyes glanced across one little statement etched into the grout between two tiles. It was very innocuous in its intent but inside a toilet stall, it was downright creepy.

                 “You are never alone.”

                I said before, the bookstore is my sanctuary, my holy place. I am a book devotee and this is my place of worship…

                 … but I seriously hope that the god of books isn’t interested in what I do in the loo.

iPod inspiration #2 – Greed

“And there’s a crooked line I don’t want to take the time to straighten,
Cause when you do you realize it’s the whole damn world that’s bent.” – Patrick Stump, Greed

Time for iPod inspiration number two!

But first, a confession; I love Fall out Boy. I always have and when I found out they were (had) released a new album (Save Rock and Roll), I was rearing to own it. On the same note, when I found out that Patrick Stump had released a solo album (Soul Punk) I checked it out. Once I got used to the fact that it did NOT sound like Fall out Boy in the least (minus the obvious correlation between the lead singer’s voice) I started really getting into the sound. It’s currently one of my favourite walking albums.

But to the point, why have I chosen this quotation? Well, I work in service when I’m not writing and some of the fodder you get from the presented situations… well, you just can’t make them up. Call me jaded, but the world is a brilliantly twisted place and I like to watch it burn … it’s great for writing. In all seriousness, some of my best short stories have come from my experiences with the public; from snotty customers to the sad man who sat at his slot machine for three days straight, the world is full of things to write about if you open your eyes.

Even if you’re not in the trade of writing fiction, taking these situations and using them as an exercise in descriptive writing can do wonders for any potential paid work that could come your way. It’s easy enough to say “That man hasn’t moved from his chair in a while,” but think of how much more effective it would be to say:

My third shift in as many days and he’s still here; tiny in the over-sized chair, the clothes haven’t changed but the smell has. People will start complaining soon, but he seems oblivious. As long as his right hand can reach out and wrap around that lever, he still has hope – hope that the next pull will be the lucky one – hope that he will prove the deniers wrong – hope that he can be validated again. Lights and buzzers for the man beside him while he is greeted by mocking silence. Again.

I worked in an OLG slots and racetrack for many summers while I was at school and saw some wonderful and horrible things – and I learned a lot about the human condition. I learned how real psychological addiction can be. I learned about lying (“No honey, I’m just leaving the doctor’s office now” – said while walking off the gaming floor). and I learned how to both be compassionate and harden myself against the constant onslaught of humanity that you saw on the gaming floor. I was verbally abused and sexually harassed, but I also met some truly wonderful people. I saw the mundane and the strange…

… but let me tell you, Mr. Stump is right. The world is bent.

So write little vignettes about the oddities. Writing a description never harmed a writer’s style whereas not writing is always a detriment.

AI

How to create something great – one idea

“Good artists copy. Great artists steal.” Steve Jobs, 1996

So what do I mean?

Obviously you cannot truly steal someone’s creative work; beyond being unethical it is also highly illegal. People are getting sued for millions of dollars for creative infringement (and as a young freelancer/ writer, you can ill afford that kind of bill). But there are aspects of another person’s writing that you can borrow for your own – the trick is finding the parts that are worth utilizing.

My suggestion: Read. I know it sounds so simple and even a little cliched, but it’s true. To become a great writer, you must read great writers… and I do not use the term must in a light sense. if you don’t explore what makes other writing great, you will never be able to figure out a way to make your copy shine.

What kind of writing should you read? Everything. Any book someone hands you. Every well-written article. Every effective manual.

I know this is a big order to fill, but trust me, your writing will not suffer; it will only get better.

Case and point – when I started freelancing, I was hired by a company to write copy for a variety of different how-to videos to go along with a new cell phone launch. It was not an easy task, especially since my background was in print – not video – and in either scholarly or journalistic writing – not purely instructional. It really felt like a tall order to fill. I was new, inexperienced and in a position that could make or break my freelancing opportunities with this company. In short, I was terrified.

So what did I do?

I went home with the style guide for the company. I watched all of the previous how-to videos for this company. I watched the how-to videos for other companies that had received high ratings on Youtube to figure out what made them effective. I watched a few crappy ones to see where they fell short… and then I wrote. There is no question that these pieces were not high literature, but it was writing. By stealing the best from the best I was able to write effective copy and garner repeat business.

So back to the point – steal style, concepts and rhetorical devices. Read great literature. Read bad literature. Read fiction, non-fiction, magazines, fantasy, science, pre-teen novels… anything you can get your hands on. It will make a difference.

One thing I also suggest is to read writing that you dislike as well. Having completed a degree in English Literature I had multiple opportunities to read authors and books that I truly despised (don’t shoot me, but much of that disliked literature was Charles Dickens). I learned what I didn’t like about that literature (again, my biggest teacher was Dickens… and it’s a long, long list) but also that even these writings that I loathed so much still had many positive aspects. For example, my biggest issue with Dickens was how he brought about change in his books – he usually relied on some form of “miracle,” be that a mysterious benefactor or a ghost (or three); I hated his narrative on the working class and his general hopelessness for that group of people barring some spectacular change of circumstance… BUT I did admire his attention to detail and his truly bizarre sense of humour in the naming of his characters.

There is always something to be learned from writers – good or bad, enjoyed or despised; it’s utilizing the information presented and using it in your own work… without getting sued, of course.

AI