Monthly Magazine Timeline 4---Editor's Essays

From Kate’s Writing Crate…

          As I mentioned in last week’s blog, I write an essay for an Editor’s Thoughts column each month for the magazines. The word count is 450-500. The topic is timely—something I thought about recently or plan to do in the upcoming month.

          I often write this essay in one day after deadline but before proofing. I’ve written well over 100 of them as an editor so I’ve had lots of practice. Since I’m exhausted after three days of editing all the text for both issues, I don’t expend the energy unless it’s going to be published although I’ve had to cut it occasionally at second proof if ads come in late. Editing requires tough calls.

          Here is the essay I wrote and rewrote on January 19th in 242 minutes:     

  

If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend viewing Hidden Figures—the true story of three brilliant black women, Katherine Goble Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, who worked for NASA’s early space program.

Who isn’t in awe of anyone who can create equations to overcome gravity then accurately bring astronauts back to an exact area for pick up, or program one of the first computers, or design space crafts to withstand re-entry? Yes, there were smart and brave men who sat in those space crafts not knowing if they would live or die, but they would not have succeeded without every employee at NASA doing their jobs.

          Imagine if during some of the proudest moments of this country—John Glenn in space then astronauts on the moon and back—everyone in the world knew about the contributions of these and other black women like Christine Darden and all the other minorities that helped make it possible.

NASA’s workforce reflected America, but most citizens were not aware of it. These people were living their dreams in a time when most were not. Wouldn’t these facts have changed the country and the world even more?

According to the book Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly, who visited NASA as a child because her father, Robert B. Lee III, was an engineer there: “Five of my father’s seven siblings made their bones as engineers or technologists…Our church abounded with mathematicians. Supersonic experts held leadership positions in my mother’s sorority…As a child…I knew so many African Americans working in science, math, and engineering that I thought that’s just what black folks did.” (page viii)

Imagine a world where everyone thought that; a world where all people were valued for their abilities regardless of race or gender.

The events depicted in Hidden Figures took place before I arrived on earth, but I’d like to image being born into a world where the STEM program wasn’t needed because all little girls studied and then grew up to major in science, technology, engineering, and math, if they wished, due to these strong female role models who provided crucial knowledge and data to put men on the moon.

In return for their amazing work, NASA named buildings in their honor. Katherine Johnson received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015.

In this day and age, I cannot understand why the history of space exploration isn’t taught so we know the names of at least these three women, Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, as well as we know the names of astronauts Alan Shepard, Wally Schirra, and Buzz Aldrin. We would not have won the space race without all of them working together—a giant step for all human beings.

As the Editor, I also write weekly thoughts for the magazines’ facebook page. Here is my most recent one, 193 words written and rewritten in 50 minutes on February 1st:

          Recently, my sister surprised our father with an array of photos from his high school ice hockey team printed from older newspapers now online. As the goalie, there are photos of him blocking shots including one where he is doing a split with his glove outstretched and stick ready to block a rebounding puck. It’s a photo he is proud of, but the newsprint copy in his scrapbook is crumbling.

          He was surprised and touched that she found the photos and articles, printed them out, and framed them. They are now hung on the wall or on shelves where he can see and enjoy them every day. He may not be able to do a split anymore, but there was a time when he could do it well. They’re called glory days for a good reason.

This was such a lovely, thoughtful gift, I wanted to share it. A blast from the past like this is perfect for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, birthdays, etc. Imagine the look on your loved ones’ faces as they are reminded of wonderful times captured years ago yet available now for display thanks to the internet.

Writing and rewriting fast are necessary skills for editors. Deadlines have to be met and the editor is the one who has to make it happen.

Weekly word count for January 29-February 4: 12,902.

Getting the Most from Facebook

From Cheryl's Writing Crate

When I want to unwind and have a little internet fun the first place I usually head to is facebook.  Though I was skeptical when I first learned of facebook well over five years ago, now I can't imagine going a day or two without visiting my trusty news feed to see what's been going on since I last logged on.

I often refer to facebook as my personal playground.  It' here where I can connect with dozens of friends and family and learn what's going on in their lives, check out their recent photos, laugh at silly cartoons and jokes, and find interesting articles and information about nearly anything under the sun.

As a mom, I'm able to see what's trending in parenting--the latest products, advice, and even support groups.  As a writer, I'm also able to glean up-to-date information from hot authors, writing gurus and fellow bloggers.

Today, I found a very interesting and informative article that focused on clever ways to increase fan interaction while using facebook.  It was like hitting the jackpot so I wanted to share it with you--fellow writers and interested readers so perhaps some of these ideas will help you connect with more fans and followers.

10 Powerful Tips to Increase Fan Engagement on Facebook by Jeff Bulla

For instance, did you know that 

The Best time to post on Facebook  is when your fans are not at work?

The analysis showed that it was best to post during times when fans were not at work and between the hours of 8pm and 7am. So to increase your “likes” and “comments”, post during “non-busy” hours.

and.............

The Best day to post on Facebook is Wednesdays and Sundays.

These are just two of Bulla's great tips.  To learn more, click on the link above and read the rest of his simple but effective strategies to get the most bang from your facebook buck!

How often do you engage your fans on social media sites like facebook?

Creative Places to Find Story Ideas and Writing Topics

From Cheryl's Writing Crate

On days that I am chomping at the bit to sit down and write, but for one reason or another (I'll spare you my excuses) I simply can't make it happen, I find the next best thing is to look for interesting topics to write about for my family column, or to pitch for an idea for a magazine article, or especially to breathe new life into the novel I'm writing.

Many times I just let my imagination wander (not too difficult while caring for 7 kids on a daily basis) to see what ideas will come to me, but on days that creativity escapes me completely, I've found the ideas below to be a tremendous resource for fun and unexpected writing fodder.

 

Facebook

The conversations you can "quietly" observe on facebook are endless.  The best part is, you can do so from the comfort of your own home, and no one needs to know what you're up to.

For instance, last week I was reading dozens of posts on my news feed, and I read one that made me laugh out loud.  A mom posted that her 6-year old son gave their cat a bath in the toilet because he didn't want to waste water and fill up their tub.  Another friend commented that her kindergarten daughter used an entire box of maxi pads for her Barbie dolls to use as air mattresses in her Barbie Town House!  The comments that people left about each incident were even funnier than the actual post, which resulted in giving me a fun idea for a future topic for my family column.

Classified Ads or Sales Flyers

Classified ad sections (either online or in print) are happy hunting grounds for story ideas.

An online ad site I looked at recently popped up with an index of things for sale, which included toe nail jewels.  Seriously?  I had no idea that the average pedicure was now becoming so glamorous.  I was curious as to who was going the extra mile and buying jewels for their little piggies--teens, college kids, senior citizens?  As I started doing a little research to satisfy my curiosity, it sparked an idea for my novel--a mystery story that revolves around a funeral director.  One of my characters is now going to have toe nail jewelry--but there will be a twist to why he is actually wearing it!   So without having glanced at the classifieds, I never would've come up with that little addition to my story.

Amazon

The book section of Amazon is like a well-stocked fish pond.

Punch in a few key words such as parenting or child development, choose the department you want to search in and then opt to have the results arranged in date order. Presto! A ready-made list of story ideas and expert authors to check out.

Our PTO is giving a special presentation on kids and the latest trends in social media and my search on Amazon unveiled how facebook uses advertising to reach tweens and teens by strategically placing ads on their news feeds to match a key word that they posted about.   This opened a whole new avenue for our group to explore for our presentation.

The next time you're feeling like your idea bank needs a few deposits, check out these places for some rich ideas.

Where are some different places you've found ideas to write about?  

Thoughts on Social Media For Writers

From Cheryl's Writing Crate

The world of social media--facebook, Twitter, and the increasingly popular Tumblr, has dramatically changed communication in the 21st century.  When I was first introduced to facebook several years ago, I thought it was the most ridiculous waste of time a person could spend.  I actually forced myself to post just a couple of status updates during the first few weeks I opened my account, and then something happened to change my pessimistic outlook--my facebook friends started commenting on my posts, I began getting dozens of friend requests, and before I knew it--I was hooked!

We all have reasons for loving or hating the use of social media in our lives, but even if you are still skeptical of the benefits of these high-tech communication tools in your personal life, as a writer there are some well thought-out reasons why you might want to consider becoming more active with sites like facebook and twitter.

I recently read an interesting article on Mashable.com that referenced 10 Prop Tips for Writers Using Social Media.  While I found the entire piece helpful, here are five of my favorite tips:

 

1. Interact and Engage — Enthusiastically

It's easy to forget that part of successfully using social media is actually being social. While linking to things you like and adding commentary are part of the whole deal, it's important to engage with followers in order to keep them. As a writer wanting to gain a following, you have to try to keep everyone interested in you.

John T. Edge, food writer, columnist for The New York Times and author of Truck Food, uses Twitter "like a madman" when he's traveling. "I use it as a kind of diary to track things I saw, music I heard, food I ate." Edge combines his genre with interesting tidbits that aren't necessarily related to his writing. Your social media account doesn't have to be all writing, all the time.

With Facebook, it's all about pacing yourself. Allison Winn Scotch, author of the bestselling Time of My Life and the forthcoming The Song Remains the Same, says, "I think Facebook users get annoyed if you post too many status updates, so I'm careful to only post at most once a day, and more realistically, a few times a week."

Make sure your personality shines through all platforms. Karen Palmer, author of the novels All Saints and Border Dogs, says that readers are drawn to a writer's voice more than anything. "The most interesting folks are those with curious minds, oddball insights, passion and humor."

Overall, it's important to remember the golden rule. Tao Lin, author of Richard Yates and Eeeee Eee Eeee, makes sure to use social networks "without feeling like I'm doing things I wouldn't want other people to do to me...or that I'm doing things that will alienate people who, based on experience, I like being friends with."

2. Make Valuable Connections

Use social media's endless networking possibilities to your advantage. "Have fun with it and engage with other authors you admire," says Winn Scotch. "I follow a slew of writers whom I don't know personally but whose observations on pop culture, for example, I find funny as hell. And you never know where that connection can lead." She says that those connections are important not just for aspiring authors, but for seasoned authors as well.

That said, it's important to be somewhat selective when choosing your followers. "I also find that following too many people can lead to chaos in my feed," Winn Scotch adds, "so I don't follow everyone."

3. Consider Privacy and Comfort Levels

You might be hesitant to join these global virtual communities in which your information and viewpoints are available to anyone, but it's all about focusing on what you're comfortable with in a public sphere.

"I found social media hard to navigate at first, because I’m a private person," Hindley says, but she soon found topics she felt comfortable discussing, such as books, history and her writing process. "Every so often, you should review your tweets to see what you’ve been talking about. Ask yourself if you’re comfortable with the image you’re projecting. If not, make some adjustments."

At the other end of the spectrum, Lin is very open about his contact information with those who follow him on social networks, and he even gave out his phone number when someone asked for it in an HTMLGIANT comment thread. "I've never had problems — that I can remember — from people having my contact information," he says. However, proceed with caution.

4. Aspiring Writers vs. Seasoned Writers

You may be wondering if there are different ways up-and-coming writers should use social media as opposed to those whose work is already established.

"Social media is an extension of your voice," says Orlean. "For aspiring writers, it's a chance to practice miniaturization — how to say something interesting in a very concise way — which is, in itself, a good writing exercise. Seasoned writers might look at it as an ongoing book tour, or at least the Q&A part of the book tour."

Lin, on the other hand, doesn't think there's a difference. "I feel like what I try to do myself has remained somewhat constant throughout my time having these [accounts]."

So it's up to you how to present yourself, but you should be honest with followers about your work's progress.

5. Don't Force It

It's alright to admit that social media isn't for you. "If after experimenting for a while, you find you don’t really enjoy it, don’t do it," Palmer advises. "It’s obvious to others when your heart isn’t in it. And should you come to find you like it a little too much, use social media as a reward for doing your real work — writing."

Do you think social media benefits your writing?