I've come home from my second writer's conference with hope, and a budget-shrinking number of excellent books. I was quite surprised to be recognized by people I'd only met once, a year ago. It feels good to be able to joke about novel characters, and have one's listeners not only laugh, but truly understand.
On the second day of the conference, by foolishness of my own doing, I managed to lose the binder that held all of the business cards I'd received the previous year. I asked at the hotel front desk and at our group's lost and found, as well as retracing my steps to the mall, though the security guard and his dispatcher said the cards had not turned up there.
God was good, and I could get replacement cards from some of last year's contacts. I was prepared to continue with those, but on Sunday, just before lunch, another group member interrupted my conversation to hand me the binder again, with all the cards inside.
It's time to read, and write reviews.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Saturday, August 28, 2010
A Substitute Computer!
It's amazing what sorts of things can be accomplished when a computer dies. Now I have another one, and my withdrawal pangs are over.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
On Wednesday, In Utter Words Toastmasters Club Celebrated
We used the second meeting of the month to hold a party in honor of becoming a President's Distinguished Club. Toastmasters dignitaries joined us, and inducted this year's roster of club officers. We also inducted our new members.
I received pins signifying my completion of the Competent Communicator manual, and becoming this year's Vice President of Membership.
I received pins signifying my completion of the Competent Communicator manual, and becoming this year's Vice President of Membership.
On Monday, I was Eleanor Roosevelt
Relax please, it's not a sign of a mental disorder.
I've moved on to working in an Advanced Toastmaster's Interpretive Reading manual, and this was the assignment on interpreting a famous speech. Usually the words famous speech bring up an instant list of Presidents and civil rights leaders. I didn't want to force my audience to listen to their forty-sixth reiteration of anything, so I went looking for something different.
The first one that caught my eye, on collecting books, was too short to fulfill the requirement of using eight to ten minutes of speaking time. The next, by a famous fantasy writer, just didn't "feel" like the right material. Then, I found Eleanor Roosevelt's speech to the District of Columbia Library Association.
I read it, keeping track of the time using the stopwatch on my phone. Then I settled in to do some necessary editing, to fit the time constraints. After several days of cautious trimming, the length was suitable. Toastmasters aren't supposed to act, but I went looking on the web for any video of Mrs. Roosevelt. Maybe I could incorporate a gesture she was likely to use.
Seeing the few existing video clips also gave me ideas of what she might wear. This was one of the assignments that encouraged the presenter to appear in costume. The more I watched, I began to chuckle. I could improvise with items in my own wardrobe.
On Monday, I was a sight in navy blue: a long pleated skirt, shell, and blazer, highlighted only by my approximation of her double-strand pearl choker. I wore a white curly wig I'd originally purchased for another occasion, and a hat atop that. The photos my friend took are not going to appear on the internet.
I'm discovering it's harder to hold an audience's interest when the speaker must break eye contact to read her material. Still, some of them set aside their lunch to listen. Eleanor herself didn't have Toastmasters experience. She always read her speeches, and rarely appeared to make any eye contact with her listeners.
I've moved on to working in an Advanced Toastmaster's Interpretive Reading manual, and this was the assignment on interpreting a famous speech. Usually the words famous speech bring up an instant list of Presidents and civil rights leaders. I didn't want to force my audience to listen to their forty-sixth reiteration of anything, so I went looking for something different.
The first one that caught my eye, on collecting books, was too short to fulfill the requirement of using eight to ten minutes of speaking time. The next, by a famous fantasy writer, just didn't "feel" like the right material. Then, I found Eleanor Roosevelt's speech to the District of Columbia Library Association.
I read it, keeping track of the time using the stopwatch on my phone. Then I settled in to do some necessary editing, to fit the time constraints. After several days of cautious trimming, the length was suitable. Toastmasters aren't supposed to act, but I went looking on the web for any video of Mrs. Roosevelt. Maybe I could incorporate a gesture she was likely to use.
Seeing the few existing video clips also gave me ideas of what she might wear. This was one of the assignments that encouraged the presenter to appear in costume. The more I watched, I began to chuckle. I could improvise with items in my own wardrobe.
On Monday, I was a sight in navy blue: a long pleated skirt, shell, and blazer, highlighted only by my approximation of her double-strand pearl choker. I wore a white curly wig I'd originally purchased for another occasion, and a hat atop that. The photos my friend took are not going to appear on the internet.
I'm discovering it's harder to hold an audience's interest when the speaker must break eye contact to read her material. Still, some of them set aside their lunch to listen. Eleanor herself didn't have Toastmasters experience. She always read her speeches, and rarely appeared to make any eye contact with her listeners.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Tonight, my friends gave me a standing ovation
It was generous of them. I've completed giving ten speeches to fulfill the Competent Communicator status in the In Utter Words Toastmasters Club.
I gave two speeches tonight, one between 5 and 7 minutes, and the other between 8 and 10 minutes. In doing so, I've helped the group reach President's Distinguished status for the first time. The longer speech was about how I got started on my first novel manuscript.
I gave two speeches tonight, one between 5 and 7 minutes, and the other between 8 and 10 minutes. In doing so, I've helped the group reach President's Distinguished status for the first time. The longer speech was about how I got started on my first novel manuscript.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Tonight, the Kindle arrived.
Just before I left to attend the last session of the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University class our church hosted, the UPS driver delivered the box. I pulled the tab to open it as I rode in my friend's van.
As the buyer reviews on Amazon warned, it's a slippery-cased machine. I've ordered a zippered "jacket" to make it easier to hold. Typing on the tiny buttons to search for titles to download needed a bit more patience than usual, but in general it works well. I've downloaded several books, including the newly-released Rooms, by Jim Rubart.
As the buyer reviews on Amazon warned, it's a slippery-cased machine. I've ordered a zippered "jacket" to make it easier to hold. Typing on the tiny buttons to search for titles to download needed a bit more patience than usual, but in general it works well. I've downloaded several books, including the newly-released Rooms, by Jim Rubart.
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