Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Ozarks Mountaineer article

I am absolutely delighted with the article in the Ozarks Mountaineer.  Watching Daddy Pull is an article about my dad and his tractor, Lonesome George.  Yes, the tractor has a name.  The article also tells a little of the history of tractor pulling.
I hope you enjoy reading the story as much as I did writing it. 
The story was written as a contest entry for the Ozarks Creative Writers conference last fall. (2010)  Although it didn't win anything at the conference, I sent it to the Ozarks Mountaineer and the editor asked me to add a little of the history to it.
So never be discouraged if you don't win.  Your story might still be a winner.  This is not the first time my contest entries have gone on to be published, and I'm not through by a long shot.

Monday, August 8, 2011

A Day Off

I spent the day with my two youngest granddaughters. We went to Mansfield to see the home of Laura Ingals Wilder. It was a great day.
No matter how many motivational speakers I hear, a trip to her home is always encouraging. When the guide says she began writing her famous 'Little House' books at the age of sixty-five, I grab those words with hope in my heart.
To see how she wrote is humbling. No computer, not even a typewriter. She wrote on Big Chief tablets. And it worked. People around the world fell in love with her books long before there was a television show. Her books are wonderful and her life inspiring.
That is how I spent my day off. Now back at it, with renewed hope.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

ASKING THE 'BIG' QUESTION

If you write non-fiction articles, chances are you interview people from time to time. There is one question that should never be forgotten. Yes, there is a universal question. You might wonder what question would fit any subject. Well, here goes.

"How do you spell your name?"

That's right. It is simple, but sometimes overlooked. We often take for granted the spelling of a common name, but we shouldn't. When a child is born, the parents want their precious baby to be unique. That leads to some very unusual ways to spell even the most common names.
Examples: John/Jon   Carol/Carole/Karole  Freddie/Freddy  Gary/Garry  Kathy/Cathy/Kathie   and the list goes on and on. Now just think of all the unusual names out there and the many ways to spell them.
 When a person sees his/her name in the newspaper or magazine, they want to see it spelled correctly.
That is my tip for today. It is not a small one, because every person you write about wants to see their name in print and they want to see it done right.