Word for . . . Thursday

Word: Zaang

Come on - come out and play.

Come back around 3:00 to see if you were right.

BRANDING

Variety is the Spice of Life . . . right?

Wrong, at least in some situations.

And, “Branding”? What does it mean?

I’ve been reading a lot about Branding. Unfortunately, that one word makes me think of cattle not writers.

I picture a cow in a field getting shoved through a gate to get a stamp burned into its butt. Is that what we writers are supposed to do?

Sort of, I guess.

I mean Nike has the Swoosh, Adidas has the triple stripe, and Converse has the Star in the circle. There must be a reason these marketing giants use one symbol to be identified with their product.

But how can we writers use this “brand” to identify ourselves? We must be able to take something away from these marketing gurus’ examples.

I did a little research and read here that the American Marketing Association (AMA) defines a brand as a name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of these items to identify the goods and services of one seller to distinguish them from other sellers.

Well, how can writers use that information to make themselves “known”?

I’ve heard that once we get published in a certain genre and have some success in that area, we should stick with it. That way our readers can be sure they’ll get what they want when they buy our books. People want a sure bet. And, if we jump around from one genre to another, our readers won’t have that satisfaction and they won’t trust our name on the spine of a book.

I guess it’s like going out for a hamburger and ordering a cheeseburger, only to bite into an iguana burger when we’d been expecting beef. We might be a little disappointed, in fact we might even get mad. We writers don’t want to make readers mad. We want readers to trust us and buy our books – right?

And here’s an article about finding your focus.

Now, all I have to do is get a book published.

HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO

It's time to celebrate different cultures and ways of life. This is the 5th of May - a Mexican time for a celebration.

It all began as a way to celebrate the victory of 4,000 Mexican soldiers against 8,000 French forces on the morning of May 5, 1862. It's always amazing to read about people who beat the odds, and even I can do that math: those odds were 2 to 1 against the Mexican soldiers. But sometimes odds don't determine the winners and the losers in life, sometimes it's determination.

Some people believe Cinco De Mayo is the celebration of Mexico's Independence Day but that is really on September 16th.

So, to help celebrate this moment in history, I thought I'd put out a cup and offer you a spot of tea.

I hope you'll sit a minute and flip through a few of my blog pages. You might even be interested in the on-line auction that is currently taking place to help Bridget. Just click here and check out a few of the donated items you can bid on.


I've also put out a serving plate. Maybe you'll come back a little later in the day to enjoy a pastry and a glass of wine and maybe even a little conversation. There's no better way to celebrate than with good food, friends, and conversation-so what if we're just cyberfriends.



Remember to take your own "time-out" today. It only takes a moment (and maybe a little imagination) to enjoy the 5th of May.

On-line Auction for Bridget Zinn

Bridget Zinn, an Oregon writer, was diagnosed with Stage 4 Colon Cancer in March. She had her first surgery recently and has started chemotherapy.

To help with medical expenses there is an on-line auction going on which was organized by fellow members of the SCBWI. You can check it out here. Bidding will occur all during the month of May and new items will continue to be posted through out the month.

In addition, there will be raffle tickets for purchase to bring one of these authors to a school or library: Matthew Holm, co-creator of Baby Mouse, Emily Whitman, author of Radiant Darkness, and Roseanne Parry, Heart of a Shepard. Raffle tickets are $10 each and are limited.

Finally, mark May 29 on your calendars and join us at Lucky Lab on SE Hawthorne where there will be another silent auction for Bridget. These will not be features on-line and include a great spa basket, limo services as well as a private wine tour, bottles of wine, and landscaping services to name a few.

RESEARCH . . . FUN?. . .

Why do we “wannabe writers” spend hours working on our craft, sacrificing time spent with family and friends, and sometimes even forgoing sleep merely to put words on paper?

Is it only for that ultimate prize; are we all searching for the Holy Grail known as publication?

Maybe. . . , but remember the famous singer, songwriter, political activist and Beatle’s warning, “life is what happens while you’re making plans.”

So, maybe, we should remember to enjoy the journey as much as the trip.

One day we’ll look back and what will we remember? At least for me, it won’t be my first byline. Instead, the thing that will stay with me is the friendships I’ve made along the way. Networking isn’t all about the writing. It’s about relationships.

So here's what my little writing group is doing to try to infuse a little more fun in our critique sessions. We've decided to do some of our research, for our novels, together. So we've been going on fieldtrips together.

That's what we did as kids. We'd visit the zoo, the cookie factory or go see a play to learn a little more about it—right? So, why shouldn't we do it too? Some of my best times back in school, were spent on fieldtrips.

And, it’s been easy.

I’m in a critique group with five other women, where we all write about different topics. Currently, one of us is writing a historical novel set in France. So, we decided to go out for breakfast at a café that serves French cuisine. It was a fun morning filled with good food, conversation and critiquing. And, while we were there, we all got a look at the decorations, fabrics and food of France. And, that’s one session I’ll remember more than most.

So, why not go on a fieldtrip and do a little research—you might find out it’s a lot of fun. . .and make a few closer friendships.

ALWAYS TWIRL

Always take a twirl in the mirror before heading out the door.

But I bet she made people smile.

DANCE AROUND THE MAY POLE AND EARTH-FRIENDLY FRIDAY

HAPPY MAY DAY!!! During the Middle Ages, English villages all had Maypoles and they would compete against one another to see who had the best.

Today, kids celebrate the day by moving back and forth around the pole, intertwining streamers or ribbons.

This tradition of celebrating May Day by dancing and singing survived as part of the English tradition. Some places still select a May queen, and kids still secretly hang baskets of flowers on the doorknobs of neighbors. We used to make little paper cone vases, when I was a kid, and fill them with flowers from the yard. We'd staple a ribbon on it to hang it from the neighbors' doors.

If you want to visit a garden to celebrate but you can't get out today, try cybervisiting this garden carpet in Brussels. Just click on the floral carpet tab to see this amazing site. And Happy May Day everyone!!

EARTH-FRIENDLY FRIDAY

Summer is almost here. Maybe some of you will be doing home remodeling projects. If you are, look into recycling centers that will take your discarded items. Here, in Portland, we use the Rebuilding Center. You might have such a business in your area. If you do, let me know. I always love to read about Green companies. And, check out the Energy Trust of Oregon.