Writing Buzz

I woke early this morning, sure I had heard my doorbell.

Of course, it wasn’t.

But, since I was up, I decided I might as well finish off a bit of work that was looming over me, tapping me on the shoulder at inconvenient times and whispering “what about me? You know I’m due soon, right?”

So I wrote it.

Then I did a bit more.

And now I’m happy.

All before my first cup of coffee.

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Note To Self

When you have a project: start writing and keep writing.

Eventually it clicks and starts to flow and you remember why you love to do this.

It never fails.

And I never fail to forget this.

Shiny

Just cancelled the host I’ve had forEVER, fo my jdwrite.com domain.

I feel a little wistful, but on the other hand it’s exciting to have a shiny new website on a shiny new host.

So, here’s my business site, all updated ‘n’ stuff.

There is still some content to add, but it is much more up to date, and I’m happy.

And, of course, if you have any trouble emailing the jdwrite address, do let me know. Ta.

On The Other Hand…

I’ve spend the morning reaching out to old colleagues and clients to ask for testimonials about my work. It’s fun and I’ve already had one nibble about new work from a contact.

I’ve been westling with what kind of writing I should be spending my new-found free time pursuing. Part of me really wants to give creative writing a try, because that is so well regarded and I admire the talent of the storyteller so much. Part of me understands that I’m good at (and more practiced in) writing non-fiction.

I’ve been taking a course of teleclasses about business copywriting, which I has earned me some money in the past and which I’m leaning towards. But part of me is accusing myself of selling out, abandoning my creative writing dreams.

Then again, I also know that when I’m busy I’m happy, and when I’m happy I’m more productive in all aspects of my life. I know how much I enjoy learning about business, and talking to business people who are good at what they do. I find it fascinating and energizing (if that’s a word). And I enjoy crafting the words that help someone understand a thing, a concept, a product, a service.

And where am I going to find characters and scenarios and realistic voices if not out in the real world? That can only help my creative writing more than sitting alone in my room, surely?

So I’ve decided to both have my cake and eat it. Pursue business writing and keep plugging away at my stories for my own amusement* on the side.

*Because I’ve also noticed that when I write to amuse myself, all of my writing gets better.

TechHead Revisited

Quite proud of myself today.

I’ve been playing with WordPress for this blog, in the interests of using it to power my business website, in anticipation of doing some business writing now that I have (a-hem) all this spare time.

So between yesterday and today I have dusted off the techy part of my brain and:

• Found a new webhost (old one has the same documentation and ‘help’ files they had in 2001)
• Figured out whether or not it would adversely affect my email (I don’t think so, but if you have any problems with the jdwrite.com address, let me know)
• Changed my domain’s DNS info so that the site will, eventually, point to the new host
• Changed my registrar to be my new host, because I can’t be bothered with the extra admin of having registration and hosting in separate places
• Downloaded/uploaded and installed WordPress on the new host’s server (OK, I used their auto-install thingy, but I feel like I have a clue what it did due to the next point)
• Troubleshooting (I troubleshot? I troubleshooted?) a problem with temporary access
• Downloaded and applied a new WordPress theme
• Customised the theme (a little)
• Started transferring content from my old website to the new WordPress powered version.
• Created some new content, more focused on what I actually want to do, rather than my old assumptions about what work is out there. (Thanks Copywriting Success Summit!)

I decided to go with a blog platform because I am NOT hand-coding things any more, and Frontpage made things too complicated, and anyway I don’t have a current version of Frontpage, if it still exists, with which to modify my content.

I like the flexibility of having everything based on the web, where I can just go and enter my  text and the clever programmers have made it all fit together and update.

It looks so much more modern. Once the new information has propogated on the web, I’ll provide a link here.

It feels nice to have a new, shiny home, and a freshly-dusted brain.

I love being  a mother, but I’m not really that good at being a housewife. Sometimes it’s nice to remind yourself that you are actually good at some thing.

Working Mother

Well, that went well.

I’ve been shaking the virtual network to see if I could dislodge any writing work now that the boys are both out at school at least part of the time.

This morning I had my first business call in several years, all scheduled and ready to go.

Then G woke up looking pale.

I took him to school along with A, and hesitated outside the door before deciding he was probably just tired (even though my instinct said “no, he’s sick”), and shoved him in the door.

As I was explaining to the teacher that he was pale and she should call me if she needed me, she said,

“Actually, one of my parent-helpers for the trip to the library just dropped out. Can you come?”

Almost any other morning I could have done it (let’s face it, the Monday morning Pilates is nice, but I could skip it). Cursing the timing I excused myself and jogged home (well, speed-walked).

So my call came; we did the preliminary catching up and had just started on the business at hand when my cell phone started bleating. I knew, of course, straight away. I didn’t even have to check the number to know it was the school.

I had to cut off the business call and go and fetch my retching wretch.

We’ve reschedule for Friday morning and luckily for me my business friend is a father to young kids and probably understands.

Getting actual work done is fine. If G had waited another three quarters of an hour to hurl I could have used this time, while he’s sleeping it off) to do actual work. It’s just the phone calls and meetings that are the tricky part.

Somewhere a hardline conservative is shaking their head and saying, that’s what she gets for trying to divide her attention.

‘Scuse me while I pop my shoes off and get back into the kitchen.

Sigh.

(Happily, I think G is going to recover.)