Before I lose my nerve...

Hello All,

Usually, when I find someone or something exciting and hopeful, "a sign", "meant to be", etc, while I'm "writer stuff surfing", I try and squelch my impulse before I rattle off a sentimental thinly disguised cry for help e-mail....but that was yesterday.

Today, make that tonight, I'm posting for the world (okay, Jenna's readers) to see, my totally free, ad-ridden, feeble attempt at a website that might have a smidgen of worth to someone somewhere on this planet or maybe on a yet undiscovered one far far away.

It's www.sandraewebber.com.

Heck yes, I want a mentor, an editor, a therapist, a more understanding parole officer. Now my boyfriend and my mother would rather I get an employer, but if anyone here can rescue me from that fate, I'll pay dearly (small, but consistent sums over a long period of time).

So without further doo-doo, as opposed to ah-doo, I post this plea and wait, knowing that whatever happens or doesn't happen, I will always be welcome under the nearby bridge where I'll soon be living lest I actually attempt to sell some of my gibberish/jibberish.

Don't say anything mean. I'm not always as sweet as those photos make me look on my website---

(Is it okay if I say "Vote for Kerry" here?)

Thanks!!!

Sandra
www.sandraewebber.com

Hi Sandra and welcome to the Cooler.

I'm really not sure this post belongs in Mentoring but since you mentioned the word...what the heck, we'll leave it for now.

Took a peek at your site and liked what I saw. I don't think you need a mentor, paid or otherwise. I expect you "need" what we all do at times: approbation. Here comes some!

You write well and have a nice sense of humour. I think you'll do just fine in this writing game if your stick-to-itiveness matches your talent.

Hope you enjoy your stay and please do explore all the nooks and crannies of the Cooler. Don't forget the Humo(u)r board.

Thanks for the welcome.

You're probably partially right about the need for approval. I guess that never ends no matter how many birthday candles are on the cake.

What I worry about most in my writing (besides obvious grammatical mistakes, inaccurate facts, misquoting someone, not making sense, uh, what else?) is having my "writer's voice" appear inauthentic. Let me see if I can explain that a bit. Yes, I like to write funny. But, I also have this serious, somewhat loftier style that comes out in my stream of consciousness pieces, poems, and some essays. I mean, I doubt that anyone would think the writer of "Procto-logically Speaking" and "Sometimes I Ponder" are one in the same. I do it as naturally as I tie my shoelaces, this coming in and out of different "voices". Does this make me nuts? You're right, this probably doesn't belong on the "mentoring" board...

But on a "mentoring" note, with your mention of "stick-to-itiveness", I'll say that yes indeedy I have a very hard time finishing a piece, not an uncommon challenge for writers, but one I could sure use some help ACTUAL help with and not just suggestions to "break things into small pieces, color code, blah, blah, blah, blah"..........

I think your writing is terrific, truly. Funny, down to earth, insightful, authentic. And I'm not just saying that.

Thanks again

Sandra

Thanks for the compliment.

I know that I too occasionally feel like a bit of a fraud when I write serious pieces since my forte is humour. Well, "fraud" isn't quite the right word. I feel a bit uncomfortable though, and find myself holding my breath waiting for the responses from folks. I just feel that being serious is going out on a thinner part of the limb.

If needing your butt kicked periodically is part of your problem, then do visit the Humour board and look for the "Weekend Progress Report" thread. Barb (and her minions Mac and Lori) do their darndest to use peer pressure (and the occasional threat) to keep folks' noses to the grindstone.

Might be just the ticket for you.

Thanks for the direction

I'll scurry on over and take a look.

And thanks for your empathy...which reminds me of two of my favorite words to hear, "me too".

Sandra

but one I could sure use some help ACTUAL help with and not just suggestions to "break things into small pieces, color code, blah, blah, blah, blah"..........

Click to expand...

Well, you're correct in thinking that kind of advice very seldom helps. But I don;t think you'll like my advice much better. It's teh only advice I've seen work in a couple of decades, but most writers still don't like it.

Th ereason you have trouble finishing things is because you stop working on them. Maybe you start something else, a horrible idea, or maybe you just decide to do something besides writing for a time. Whatever, you stop working.

There really is only one solution, and it must come from the writer. If you want to finish things, you sit down and finish them. You pick a project, you sit you butt in the chair each and every day for however long it takes, no exceptions, no break, no days when you'd rather do something else, work on something else. You sit your butt in the chair with your chosen project and you WORK on it. You do this each and every day until it's finished.

You're exactly right, James.

Hope just keeps springing eternal that I'll find another reason for not finishing things other than my fear of succumbing to
"butt-osis".

Thanks for the reminder!

Sandra

See my PM if you are still on the board.