Freelance Writers Appreciation Week
February 8, 2010 by Lillie
I read on Celeste Stewart’s blog that this week is Freelance Writers Appreciation Week. She didn’t give any details, and I searched for more information. Although I found several references to the second week of February being Freelance Writers Appreciation Week, there doesn’t seem to be much activity or information about this event. This has been the case for the last couple of years.
So I’ll do as I did in 2008 and 2009:
A big hug of appreciation to my fellow freelancers. I appreciate all of you!
Looking for Vets with PTSD Who Have Improved
February 5, 2010 by Lillie
I’m working on an exciting project with Dr. Harry Croft, a psychiatrist who has evaluated more than 3500 veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) for the Veterans Administration.
Dr. Croft is writing a book to help vets with PTSD and their loved ones to understand and deal with the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of the disorder.
The book will explain what PTSD is and what the symptoms are. Dr. Croft has found that many vets don’t recognize their symptoms in the clinical descriptions; the book will be simple to read and easy to understand, with no medical jargon. The overview of treatments will familiarize vets with the various options without overwhelming them with details.
Perhaps the most valuable part of the book will be a variety of scenarios of the experiences of many vets and practical advice on dealing with the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of PTSD. Each example will include information for the vet, for family and loved ones, and for others (such as employers and coworkers) who interact with the vet.
Dr. Croft has access to many veterans who have been treated clinically for the disorder, but he wants to include examples of vets who have improved through a variety of ways, including self-help.
Do you know a vet with PTSD who has been helped by faith or religious activities, volunteer work, having a pet, or something else? If so, we’d like to hear from him or her. Please e-mail ptsd@lillieammann.com.
We will choose representative examples to include in the book. The vets will not be individually identified, and Dr. Croft may combine information from multiple sources into composite examples.
We recognize that vets with PTSD often find it difficult to talk about their experiences. However, we encourage those who have improved to share valuable help and give hope to others who are still suffering.
photo credit: The U.S. Army.
Read an E-Book Week Coming Soon
February 3, 2010 by Lillie
As you know if you’ve been around my blog for any length of time, I love e-books. I discovered e-books when my first novel was accepted by an e-publisher in 1999 and been an avid fan ever since.
Currently, I read mostly on the Kindle, but I also have an eBookwise reader that I keep to read in poor light because it’s backlit. There are two reasons I prefer the Kindle:
- The text size is highly adjustable. I need it quite large for comfortable reading, and I can’t always get it large enough on the other reader.
- The Whispernet means that I can read a review in my feed reader, order the book immediately, and it’s delivered instantly and wirelessly.
I watch for publishers offering free e-books for a limited time and order those I’d like to read. Right now, I have more than 30 e-books in my Kindle, and many of them were free. I subscribe to Books on the Knob, where Karen posts links to free and discounted Kindle editions and other e-books.
If you like free as I do, you can find many great free e-books during Read an E-Book Week. E-book lovers will want to take advantage of the occasion to add to their collection. Those who haven’t tried e-books will find this a wonderful opportunity to see how they like e-reading.
As the event draws closer, I’ll post a list of the free e-books I’ll be giving away during the week. Sneak preview: in addition to my current books, I’m going to introduce several new how-to e-books. They’ll be available for free during Read an E-Book Week; at the end of the week, they will be available at reasonable prices.
I highly recommend that authors who have books available as e-books consider partnering with Read an E-Book Week.
Abject Terror + A Bluff = New Confidence
February 1, 2010 by Lillie
Lori Widmer’ recent post at Words on the Page, Worthwhile Tip: Stop Apologizing , encourages writers to stop doubting themselves.
It reminded me of something totally unrelated to writing, but an event that may well have given me the self-confidence to try anything. I left a comment on Lori’s post but decided to share the story here as well.
I was the first person in my family to go to college, and I was in a work-study program to help pay for my education. I was assigned to the library, and when I showed up to find out what my job would be, the librarian took me into a tiny office. “Your application said you took typing,” she said. “You’ll type the catalog cards for us.”
There was a problem, however—and I’m really dating myself now! The small high school I attended owned only one electric typewriter. We each got to type on it once during the year; the rest of the time, we used the old manual typewriters. We didn’t even get to turn on the electric—the teacher turned it on for us and just let us type a few paragraphs.
As you’ve probably figured out, the typewriter in the library was an electric. I immediately panicked. I saw myself being kicked out of school because I couldn’t do the job, humiliating myself and dashing my family’s dreams of having a member with a college education.
I took a deep breath and asked, “Do you have a manual for this machine? I’m not familiar with this model, and I’d like to read up on it to save time when I start.”
The librarian handed me the book that held the secrets to this challenging piece of equipment. I took it back to my dorm room and read it, re-read it, and studied it. The next day, I reported to work and turned on that typewriter just as if I’d done a hundred times before.
I don’t know if the librarian ever realized I didn’t know what I was doing. She never gave any indication she did, and in a few months, she started giving me the most complicated jobs in the library. She was also the faculty secretary and even had me type the minutes and correspondence for the faculty.
After that, I realized I could do a lot more than I gave myself credit for. To this day, when someone asks if I can do something, I say, “Of course.” Then I go figure out how to do it.
photo credit: alexkerhead
