Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Remember This

I think I started writing lists and making sure I jotted every appointment down around the time I had my third child. Our family schedules looked like a spreadsheet by then. And how over twenty years later, I need those list and notes to myself. Today I'm going to share some of these with you.

*Dianna Gunn, promotions specialist with the now closed Musa Publishing, is our guest on the IWSG blog. She's talking about how working with a publisher has helped her own writing career. I know she's given me some good suggestions and insights into marketing.

*My post on Monday about blog housekeeping before the A to Z starts received lots of comments and some really great suggestions that I have to share in case you missed them. First off, my fellow A to Z co-host, John Holton, liked my suggestion about making sure any links in your post open in a new tab and don't carry people off of your blog. John is a clever guy and has constructed his posts so they appear on his Wordpress and Blogger sites at the same time. So John put together a 'how-to' post to make sure your links do as I suggested. And he gives concise instructions for both types of blogs. Visit his post if you don't know how to do this already.

*Maria Zannini, one of my blog time blogger friends, commented how she sometimes find interesting bloggers by what they say in the comments. That is so spot on. When you see someone leaving thoughtful and insightful remarks about a post, you just might want to check out that person's blog. Thanks, Maria, for that helpful idea.

Maria's post on Monday was about having friends. It really spoke to me. Since I've become a full time writer, I go days and days where I only leave the house to exercise (or shovel snow). I speak to no one except my husband and whichever of my children are around. And I don't even notice that I've been so isolated and I never feel lonely. Good or bad? I'm going to try and get out more, meet friends for lunch now and then if for no other reason than to wear some of those clothes hanging in my closet.

Don't forget if you're about tomorrow, there's a Twitter chat going on for the A to Z Challenge. Use the hash tags, #azchat or #atozchallenge. We'll meet on Twitter at 1 to 2 pm and again 8-9 pm EDST.

Do you keep lists or scribble notes to yourself? Have you found interesting bloggers through comments? Ever feel lonely when you haven't left the house for a while? What's the longest you ever spent without leaving your home? Did John's post help you?

25 comments:

Barbara In Caneyhead said...

I use lists, notes, reminders, alerts....and I still forget things. And yes, I think the comment thing is spot on. When someone leaves a comment on your post that makes you laugh or let's you know your post hit home with them, you feel a commonality. Life & Faith in Caneyhead
I am Ensign B ~ One of Tremp's Troops with the
A to Z Challenge

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

Great idea about finding new bloggers to read/follow through their comments! I probably should make more of a point to get out more...but I love being home so much! :)

Maria Zannini said...

Thanks for the mention!

I've kept lists since I was a kid, at first to set my goals, but when I got older it was just to remember what I had to do that day. LOL.

Re: friends
Me too. I've made one lunch date with a friend for next week, and one for next month. Now if I can only make it a habit.

I'll admit that's easier when the weather is warm and pleasant.

betty said...

Main list I'm keeping right now is my A/Z :) And of course the weekly grocery list because if it is not on the list, more than likely I will forget it :)

I work at home; I need to get out more, especially since we just moved in January to a new area; got to get out and meet people. Other than getting out and walking for exercise, some weeks I don't leave the house from Monday through Friday (which is kind of nice, I do like the hermit aspect :)

I do agree about the comments left on blogs; I will check out blogs if they have an unique name or if I do see a nice comment left :)

betty

Luanne G. Smith said...

I'm at the age now that if I don't write it down, I'll likely forget it. Yeah.

And excellent advice about finding interesting bloggers through the comments they leave. You do get to know quite a few new people that way. :)

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Susan .. I also make notes - but must get tidier and more organised with them - thankfully I still have a pretty good memory.

This post and your previous one have some really interesting thoughts in them - that I must seriously look .. great post. And yes I'm sure I've met people via comments ...

Cheers Hilary

Pat Hatt said...

That is how I find a lot of blogs. A good tip about the links too, sometimes I do that, other times I don't. Get out? What's that? lol

Robin said...

I've found some fabulous blog by following interesting comments. I've also checked out the folks listed in a favorite blog's sidebar. The theory being if they like that blog a lot, I might, too! I've found some very interesting bloggers in that fashion.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

I love those comments that make me smile and realize the person really got it.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

I love being home too. So many years of seeming like we only used the house as a place to sleep has left me with a great contentment to be here.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

I have a lunch date with a friend next week and I'm going to make my husband take me out too.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

I used to never do grocery list but I have to now or I end up making another trip.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

I forget it too. If I don't write, I don't even remember that I forgot something.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

I like to think I still have a good memory but making lists helps me stay organized and gives me something to cross off.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

The snow is melting. Let the cats take you out for a walk.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Trying to remember how I found you. I think it was through a comment you left somewhere.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

We have a lot of friends here online, but we need real life ones as well.
Finding interesting bloggers in the comments? Crap, I'm screwed. I guess I need to leave longer and more thoughtful posts.

Tyrean Martinson said...

Offline friends really help on those days when it feels like everyone else's writing/bookselling/etc is going gangbusters . . it's good to have a few non-writing friends. :)

Liz Blocker said...

I might use lists every now and then.... ;) Of course I do! You know me, I'm outline obsessed. And I think, like Alex, that I need to leave more thought-provoking comments...

Christine Rains said...

I never feel lonely either. :) Someone's comment has led me to subscribe to their blog. I had a really amazing memory before my son was born, and since then, I'm lucky I can what day it is! I keep a calendar with all the important dates and appointments.

Jennifer Ruth Jackson said...

My husband and I are hugely into "to-do" lists or shopping lists and reminders. My family thinks it's funny, until they leave their so-so grocery list sitting on the kitchen table while they're at the store.

The people who respond to my blog are generally people I follow already. I've tried reaching out more and expanding but I'm uninteresting...

Everyone needs social interaction and to get out... the amount of time just varies somewhat between people. I need to recover after a day out but everyone I know thinks I'm a social butterfly.

Mark Koopmans said...

Oh, the scribbled list drama.... I used to have a simple, wooden in-box.. you know... fits a standard 8x11 page... and is about two inches deep...

Then I started using the box for a go-to safe house of all my odd-shaped notes on Current WIP, Future WIP, General Ideas....

Until one day there was hundreds of notes and no Sheriff in town to corral these uppity ideas... so I, of course, wrote a note to clean the box and threw it on top...

Fast forward several weeks and old post-its and torn pages are floating down to earth as Mount Nomorenotes threatened to fully overflow.

What was I to do.... My son walked by with a half-eaten sandwich in a Ziploc bag and before anyone could say "You have OCD, Mark" I emptied all the notes on the table and an hour later I had six, delightfully organized bags full of stuff I will get to... one day, when I buy a new in-box :)

PS: I laughed when I read your comment.. I hope you like the new blog look !!! (and the podcast was so much fun, to be shure, to be shure :)

LD Masterson said...

I use my phone (the smartphone I absolutely didn't want) to keep track of appointments and reminders. It beeps, buzzes, and annoys me enough that it's hard to forget anything. But I also make do-lists. Lots and lots of do-lists. They're partially for reminding myself and partially because I liked checking things off. Okay, I love checking things off.

And one of the things on myself monthly do-list is have lunch with a friend.

Liza said...

I have found bloggers through comments. I've started using my calendar feature on my phone to remind me of appointments. I keep lists, too.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Susan - thanks for this post and the ideas therein - I've kept it open to look through. We do meet bloggers through comments - well in fact I suspect all mine came that way ... and we do make good friends and support each other ... so many of us go through challenging times ...

I'm looking forward to the A-Z .. cheers Hilary