Author Archives: Mindy Long / @mindywrites

Why Journalism Matters

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Even as a journalist, there are times I get frustrated with the media. Let’s be honest. Twenty-four hour news coverage means non-newsworthy stories can get beaten to death and even those that are newsworthy can get blown out of proportion. But then there are days when I pick up the paper and read a story that leaves me saying, “There. That is why journalism matters. That is why the press is and should be the fourth estate.”

Last week, the front page of the Washington Post detailed the story of the Air Force secretly dumping the incinerated partial remains of at least 274 American troops in a landfill without the families’ knowledge or consent. The Post first revealed the practice last month and is continuing its push for information.

Read the story here. It is appalling, and this is exactly the type of story the media should grab onto and fight tooth and nail to uncover. It is the reason the first amendment exists. It is why I am grateful "Congress shall make no law…" 

I’m sure we’re all guilty of cursing police officers when we’re caught speeding yet we want them to be at the ready when we need help. The same goes for the press.

There may be times when we roll our eyes or change the channel because we’re tired of seeing the same story over and over again or we just can't take any more of a particular anchor. But even so, let’s be glad the press is there. It really does serve a greater good. Plus, you never know when you may need the media to come to your aid. It can happen, and I bet that while the families who are just now learning their loved ones’ remains were dumped in a landfill are devastated, they’re glad to know the practice was uncovered and the military will be held responsible for its actions.  

Navigating Creative Delays

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November is NaNoWriMo or, for you non-writers out there, National Novel Writing Month. The idea is that you write fast and furious for 30 days and at the end of the month you have a novel ready for all of the edits and re-writes that take a first draft to a final one. For the past two years, I’ve had the best of intentions to take part. I’ve created a profile and done lots of pre-NaNoWriMo inspirational reading.

Then we get into November and life somehow takes over. There are paying work projects, a loving family (pictured above) and a sweet toddler that needs twice-daily doses of pink amoxicillin that all demand attention. Then toss in Thanksgiving, Christmas cards and kids’ activities and before I know it, it is November 28. Unfortunately, I still haven’t put any words on paper.

While writing an entire novel in a month is a challenge, writing one in three days is impossible. So, I concede defeat and stick NaNoWriMo back into my someday file. But I don’t beat myself up too much. Deferred dreams can still come true.

Anna Quindlen, one of my favorite writers, said, “You probably can have it all. Just not at the same time. And, you might have to make certain compromises when your children are small. But you children are going to be small for a very short period of time.”

Life brings creative delays, but in the end, those delays may make us even better at what we do. Novelist Anne Tyler said, “It seems to me that since I’ve had children, I’ve grown richer and deeper. They may have slowed down my writing for a while, but when I did write, I had more of a self to speak from.”

We all have commitments and learning how to pursue our dreams while meeting our obligations is a fine art. Fortunately, no matter what our passions are, we can all work at our own pace. For me, it is a marathon and not a sprint. 

Avoid Jealousy to Gain Confidence

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Whether you're running your own shop or working in an office, to be happy you have to make your career your own. Set your own goals, focus on your strengths and take charge as the captain of your own ship. As captain, you need to be confident in where you're going and what you're doing. Gaining confidence can take time, and the surest way to crush it is to compare yourself to others. 

It is easy to look at what someone else is doing and wish you were there, too. Believe me, I get bitten by the jealousy bug from time to time. But all jealousy will do is make you lose sight of what you already have. I'm making my living as a writer while working around my kids' schedules. This is what I've always wanted, yet I am guilty of looking at projects other freelancers are working on or books others are publishing and feel like I'm not doing enough.

When I find myself wishing I had more time in the day or that I was doing work more like someone else's, I try to take a step back and simply be grateful for what I already have. The truth is, it doesn't matter what others in my field are doing. My career goals and priorities are different from theirs, so it is only logical that my achievements will be as well. More importantly, their accomplishments won't  keep me from being successful. So when jealousy rears its ugly head, I simply acknowledge it and remind myself that I'm charting my own course at my own pace. In turn, I can be truly happy for someone else's achievements and use them as inspiration. They say a rising tide lifts all ships and another writer's success may ultimately increase mine. 

Photo by Robert Linder from stock.xchange

 

Mummy and Pumpkin Oreo Pops

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Last year I posted a little how-to on Oreo pops. Thanks to PInterest, I've been getting a lot of hits on that original post. A few people have emailed questions about the eyes for the mummies. I've always ordered mine in bulk from a bakery supply store, so I decided to host a giveaway!

Halloween isn't far away, so there is a short window to enter. Just leave a comment by 8:00 a.m. Thursday (Eastern time) about your favorite childhood Halloween costume (mine was either Pippi Longstocking or Ernie from Sesame Street). I'll select a random winner and drop a set of twelve eyes in the mail that afternoon. Hopefully they'll arrive in time for you to whip up a dozen mummies for your Halloween celebration. 

About the Oreo Pops:

This is a great kid activity. Evan and I spent a few hours making these one day and he was in heaven. You need are Double Stuff Oreos, candy melts, lollipop sticks and green Tic Tacs for the pumpkins or candy eyes for the mummies.

Here is what I did: 

1. Remove the top cookie from your Oreos. I did a bunch at a time and my little helper and I were happy to eat the broken ones. 

2. Insert a lollipop stick and close them back up. If you want to be sure they stay closed, you can melt your candy melts at this point and dip the stick in some candy before putting it in the Oreo. 

3. Melt your candy melts in the microwave according to the package directions.

4. Dip the Oreo into the candy and make sure to cover the whole cookie. Lay the dipped cookie on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. 

5. For the mummies: add the eyes now. For the pumpkins: after it sets just a little insert the green Tic Tac into the top. Since the Tic Tac on the pumpkins is balancing on top, you want the candy to have hardened just a bit.  

6. Once the cookies harden all the way, place some of the melted candy in a baggie, snip the end and drizzle some candy back over the cookies.  

Oh, and, if you don't win the eyes, you can order them online. Amazon has 1/4" eyes that look similar to mine. 

UPDATED: The winner is Kelley! Thanks for reading and for entering. Send me your mailing address and I'll get them on their way. I also sent you an email. 

Some Weekend Reading

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Are you busy weekending? We are, but I still manage to find some time to sneak in my favorite blogs. If you have some time to fit in a little reading, here are some of my favorite reads (either new or new-to-me posts) from the past week.

Bribing Kids with After-Dinner Treats

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I am not above bribing my kids. I was back before I had kids, but now I know that the promise of a lollipop or a cookie can work wonders. Homemade ice cream sandwiches can do the trick too.

One graham cracker + two tablespoons of low-fat ice cream = very happy kids who didn’t even notice you served leftovers for dinner.  This  somewhat healthy treat will also keep them busy while you shoot off a quick email, especially if you put a few chocolate chips on the plate and let them decorate the ice cream before putting another graham cracker on top. 

What are your favorite bribes and/or mommy magic tricks? 

Be a Partner

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When it comes to landing and keeping clients, the key is to position yourself as their partner. Yes, you are a writer, editor or [insert profession of choice here], but moreover, you are someone your clients can turn to when they need an extra hand. It is important to be flexible and easy to work with, and I’ve always said my job is to make my clients’ jobs easier. 

My motto was tested this week when I reached out to an editor about a story he assigned me a few months ago only to learn he had forgotten to list me on his editorial calendar and assigned the story to someone else. He apologized (several times, actually), and promised to touch base with the other writer to determine who was further along on the piece.

I took a few deep breaths and thought about what losing the assignment would mean to me. For this paper, I get paid by the word and typically earn $1,200 or more for a feature. This is a heck of a lot of money. I also love the front-page byline this piece will have. Plus, I had several hours in on the project. 

Then, I thought about my editor, the sources who had already shared time and information with me and all of the leg work I’d done on the piece. As a partner, there was no reason to let that work go to waste. I’ve been writing for this paper since I started freelancing three years ago and value the long-term relationship we have.

I emailed my editor and let him know that if he went with the other writer, I’d share my notes and the dates and times of pending interviews in addition to an overall status update.

Minutes later, my phone rang. My editor was confirming that I’d just offered to share my info, apologized again and thanked me for being so willing to help. He also offered to pay me for the work I’d done so far, give me credit on the story as a contributing writer and put me on the editorial calendar for an upcoming feature.

Was it the right move? Part of me wonders if I shared my info a little too easily. But overall, I think I showed my dedication to my client. My editor knows that I put the story first and he rewarded me with compensation for the time I’d spent and, more importantly for a soul proprietor, future work. I'm still a firm believer that putting the client first is the first step in building trust and securing repeat business. 

Save Time with Google Reader

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Do you use Google Reader yet? You probably do. I’ve always been a bit of a late bloomer. I just subscribed to all of my favorite blogs and I love how easy it is to read everything all in one sitting. I save so much time by logging onto one site versus visiting each blog individually. If a post strikes me, I click on it and leave a comment. Super easy! If you haven’t tried it yet, give it a shot. And, whether you’re a newbie or a seasoned Google Reader veteran, if you like my site, add me to your subscriptions! 

The Time Trap Known as Target

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Hello. My name is Mindy and it has been three days since my last trip to Target. Before that, it was four months. It only took one Target-induced hangover (pounding headache and all) to make me remember why I quit shopping at most bricks-and-mortar stores. I browse, I wander, and I end up spending way too much time with my four year old on the toy aisle (because I am not about to spend my kids' precious preschool hours running errands). In other words, I waste valuable time. What’s more, I walk out with a Star Wars t-shirt and a two-foot tall light-up jack-o-lantern that weren’t on my shopping list.

Online shopping is a key time management tool for me. I’ve had everything from root beer to mouthwash delivered to my front door over the past few months. Don't get me wrong. I used to enjoy shopping, but that was before I had two kids along for the ride and my own business. Now, I shop via computer screen and wait for UPS to deliver my treasures. 

Sometimes I think I miss browsing the shelves at retail stores, which is why I fall off the wagon every so often. But the fact is, online shopping saves me time that I can invest in other places. 

Do Labels Help or Hurt?

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Between my work schedule and my kiddos, I barely have time to read for fun, but I somehow managed to read The You I Never Knew by Susan Wiggs in just two days. This was the type of book that had me sneaking pages any chance I could get. Last night I caught myself sitting on the edge of the tub, holding the book in one hand and washing my kids’ hair with the other. I sometimes feel guilty when a novel takes my attention away from my motherly duties, but I figure that if reading is my biggest vice, my kids have gotten off pretty easy.

My hubby’s grandma gave the book to me It wasn’t until I finished it that I realized the word ROMANCE across the binding.

Yes, it was a love story, but I was surprised to see it categorized at romance. In my mind, it is a book about relationships, and a novel that would appeal to a lot of fiction readers—not just those who favor romance novels. In addition to being a great novel that made me feel like I was at a ranch in Montana (even with Johnson and Johnson’s Baby Wash dripping down my right hand), the book made me think about how books are labeled.

As a writer, I realize that publishers and booksellers need to put books in nice and neat categories. I also know that as I reader I gravitate to the sections of the bookstore that house the types of books I like. But those very tools that are meant to help us find what we want can also keep us from discovering great reads we’d love.

Had it not been given to me, I likely never would have found The You I Never Knew. That would have been my loss as I really loved this book. Susan Wiggs kept me entertained and made the characters and places in the book come alive. Now that I’ve finished it, I plan to go back through and try to figure out how Wiggs worked her magic. I am also going to branch out a little more often and check out books that aren’t necessarily my type. You never know, science fiction could totally be my thing and I don’t even know it yet