Archive for the ‘blogging’ Category
NaBloPoMo is a big, fat no-go
It is with deep regret that I announce I won’t be taking part in NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) this November. I had been going back and forth on the decision for weeks (yes, it’s that important dammit!), but I just can’t.
Yes, I’ll be busy writing a novel for NaNoWriMo, but what I *will* do for NaBloPoMo is pledge to visit as many blogs participating in NaBloPoMo as possible throughout the month. My blog reading has really slowed in the past few months, and I’d like to use November to get back in touch with *your* blogs–especially if you’re participating in NaBlo.
So, if you’ve signed up, please let me know in the comments or come find me at the NaBlo site here (I don’t think my profile will be erased or anything, will it?)!
And, hey, maybe I’ll commit to doing Pilates every day instead!
What would you commit to doing every day this November?
Blog Action Day 2008: Poverty
Last year we talked about the environment, and this year the topic is poverty.
If you haven’t signed up to join Blog Action Day 2008 yet, there’s still time so long as it’s still 15 October where you are. Go here, sign up, and get writing!
Alternately, you can simply promote the event or even donate your day’s earnings to microfinance a loan through a fabulous organization like Kiva, which I’ve told you about before, or to a charity like CARE, which I’ve recently become a part of.
CARE was founded in America after World War II to provide relief for survivors in Europe; since then it has evolved into one of the leading humanitarian organizations fighting global poverty. Here is some more information on the organization from CARE’s website:
We place special focus on working alongside poor women because, equipped with the proper resources, women have the power to help whole families and entire communities escape poverty. Women are at the heart of CARE’s community-based efforts to improve basic education, prevent the spread of HIV, increase access to clean water and sanitation, expand economic opportunity and protect natural resources. CARE also delivers emergency aid to survivors of war and natural disasters, and helps people rebuild their lives.
I have signed up as an online volunteer with CARE to help fight global poverty and to ask my friends and family to get involved–by donating, by sending emails to government leaders, and by making their voices heard regarding issues like action in Darfur, world hunger, violence against women, and more.
Need more inspiration to take a stand on poverty today?
interactive friday:
blog my blog II
***UPDATED!***
Please come visit me at Italy Magazine where I’ll be writing a weekly column, Guarda!, about interesting aspects of Italian life, sharing lots of great videos along the way. This week’s feature is The Palio in Siena, a most unique horse race. Comments over there will certainly be appreciated!
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OK, back to the regularly scheduled blog post.
I so enjoyed when you blogged my blog back in April that it’s time for you to blog my blog again.
I’ve also had an *extremely* busy and stressful work week, which means I have very little brain power left, so it’s your turn to create here.
Taking direction from Kailani of An Island Life, here’s how it works for those who don’t remember:
1. I start with a question/phrase.
2. The first commenter answers that question and leaves a new question for the next visitor to answer. It could be a general question, fill in the blank sentence, a “tell me about a time when,” etc.
3. The next commenter answers the new question and provides a question for the following visitor (i.e., the third commenter).
4. And so forth until you’re all bored to tears. Yes, I expect actual tears before we stop (photographic evidence will do).
5. Note: I reserve the right to delete or modify any questions that, you know, rub me the wrong way. Ahem.
6. In a situation where two commenters have answered the same question and you’re next to answer, please either choose one of the questions or answer both; if you don’t answer both, you are free to pass along the question you didn’t use or come up with a new one.
The first question:
Do you read your horoscope?
Buon weekend!
1st of the month featured bloggers: august
This month I’ve selected five featured bloggers.
This is because Frances of BlogJem has declared Blog About Five Things Week based on an idea from Ben Yoskovitz based on Problogger Darren Rowse’s Group Writing Project from a while back.
Got that?
[By the way, I participated in the Group Writing Project with Top 5 Italian Words You Don’t Want to Mispronounce. There will soon be a new group writing project at Problogger, so stay tuned!]
OK, so the point is that since I was going to feature a blogger or two anyway today, I thought, why not five?
So here are five of my favorite writing related sites–some about the craft, some by my favorite writers:
1. Burnettiquette by Miami Herald columnist James Burnett. The tagline is “Where common sense meets the news.” Love it! I dare you to go visit him and leave without pondering some great social ill, current event or trend. Simply fabulous.
2. NYC/Caribbean Ragazza. This is a gal who packed up her life in Los Angeles as a Hollywood film exec and moved it to Rome where now she’s collaborating with an Italian screenwriter on a new film. Amazing story, amazing woman. Must read.
3. The Golden Pencil by Anne Wayman. So much excellent advice here for writers from technique to the business end, and lots of great job opportunities posted as well. I’d definitely recommend subscribing if you’re a freelance writer.
4. The (Mis)Adventures of a Single City Chick by Christina Arbini. Christina’s was one of the very first blogs I read, and I cannot wait to read one of her books. Publishers, you listening?! Christina has such enthusiasm and passion for writing (and for life), it’s hard to leave her blog without smiling. Don’t you love that?
5. distraction no. 99 by Nova Ren Suma. Nova writes so honestly and openly about her writing process, rejections *and* acceptances that I feel like I’m right there with her. And thank goodness she lets me be–it’s a wonderful ride.
By the way, if you’re looking to spark creativity, making these “five lists” is a great method. You may even find that you want to expand each one and write a whole post about it. Look! A whole week of posts!
How do you come up with blog post ideas?
Buon weekend!
P.S. Can you believe it’s August already?! Gah!
Books, Books, and More Books
First I want to thank those of you who took the time to read some of my writing mentioned in Friday’s post; it reminds me again what a warm, fuzzy place the blogging world can be.
Now let’s keep the reading thing going and talk about one of my favorite things on this planet or any other: books. It’s been a while since I’ve done a meme, but when I saw this one on books at Chel’s Chasing Contentment, I felt some meme withdrawal and had to fill this one out.
Apparently books make me do strange things.
Speaking of which, remember you can always keep up with what I’m reading through the books link on the navigation bar above.
1. One book that changed your life: Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White. This was the first book of any real length that I ever read, and I’ve been writing stories trying (in vain) to live up to E.B. White’s legacy ever since. I *so* wanted to be Fern and play with Wilbur, Charlotte, Templeton, and the g-g-goose. Love. This. Book.
2. One book you’ve read more than once twice: Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. A few Jane Austens as well, but Catherine and Heathcliff are my all-time favorites. A more recently published favorite that I’ve read a few times is Chocolat by Joanne Harris.
3. One book you’d want on a desert island: William Shakespeare Complete Works. How could I ever get bored?
4. One book that made you laugh: OK trying to think of an answer here was far too difficult, so I definitely need to read more funny books. Feel free to leave suggestions. Oh! The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde. Hilarious!
P.S. I wish I could answer Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs here since the book blurbs describe it as “screamingly funny!” and “funny as hell!” but I found it quite disturbing. I mean, it was good, but “funny” certainly isn’t a word I’d use to describe it. Anyone else have an opinion on this book?
5. One book that made you cry: Most recently, Resistance by Anita Shreve. This is the first Shreve book I’ve read, and wow. Grazie mille Qualcosa di Bello!
6. One book you wish you had written: The History of Love by Nicole Krauss. I love how she weaves together the stories of characters from different generations around the core of love—two of my favorite themes.
7. One book you wish had never been written: Now that’s not very nice. I’m no player/writer hater.
8. One book you’re currently reading: The Italian translation of Paulo Coelho’s By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept. Judging from the Italian version, I’d say the English one would be pretty good too. Have I mentioned how much I loved The Alchemist (in Italian at least)?
9. One book you’ve been meaning to read: Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light–and I can prove it as it’s been on my Amazon Wish List since it came out! I was raised Catholic, so Mother Teresa has always had a special place in my heart. This book is said to give greater insight into her as a person, including her fears and doubts, rather than treat her as simply a persona. Has anyone read this? Opinions?
Looking forward to your answers fellow booklovers!
Michelle Kaminsky is an American attorney-turned-freelance writer who lived in her family's ancestral village in Calabria, Italy for 15 years. This blog is now archived.
Calabria Guidebook
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