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Project overwhelm? Grab a shovel.

1/23/2020

shovel in snow with headline: Project Overwhelm? 5 lessons from shoveling snow

Five lessons in project management.
Last Sunday I bundled up to clear the six inches of snow that fell overnight. Six inches is not a lot of snow, and with a temperature of only 12°F, it was light and fluffy. The problem was, and usually is, the end of the driveway. The snowplow snow.

It’s a messy mix of snow and ice from the road. Packed tight, and heavy.

But because it was only six inches, and it was early (just seven o’clock in the morning), I decided to forgo the snowblower and shovel my way out.

Like most projects, there are things to consider when starting out, and I realized my plan for clearing the snow was really an exercise in project management.

Lesson #1: Assess the situation
Shoveling a path out was the first step. After the porch and stairs were clear, I needed to tackle the driveway surface, remove the snowplow snow from the end of the driveway, and clean off the car.

Lesson #2: Make sure you have the right tools for the job
Snow shovels come in as many varieties and flavors as ice cream. There’s the big scoop. Small scoop. Metal and plastic varieties. And weight. Some shovels are light and easy to handle, others are heavy.

After years of “testing,” my preference is a light-weight, flat scoop.

Why? There’s a lot of lifting involved. I don’t like adding extra weight from the shovel itself, and the bigger the scoop, the more snow it holds, and the harder it is to lift.

Lesson #3: Make a plan
Once the porch and stairs were clear, I decided to use an alternating pattern of removal. Because the snowplow snow is so heavy, I decided to clear it bit by bit. I cleared 1/3 of the driveway, moved on to a two-foot wide section of the snowplow snow, then switched to brushing off the car. Another two-foot section of snowplow snow, brush, shovel, and repeat.

The plan allowed me minimize exertion (recommended), make slow and steady progress, and vary the tasks at hand to avoid frustration.

Lesson #4: Stand back and assess the situation
When I started, it seemed it would take forever to get through the end of the driveway. But when I stopped to take a breath, I could see, bit by bit, I was making progress. My plan was working.

Lesson #5: Find pleasure in the doing
When I stopped to assess where I was, I saw that the sky was robin’s egg blue. And noticed the light. The sun was still rising and it put a glow on the horizon, the tree tops ... and the underbelly of a seagull that flew overhead.

Choose your favorite book cover

1/16/2020

Update:
The winner is .... Cover #1
Most of you thought it best reflected the subject of the book, cursive writing.
Thank you for voting and sharing your thoughts.

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I need your help.
I'm in the final stages of designing my book, Cursive Writing Practice by the Letter and I need your help.

There are three cover designs to choose from, and I'd like to know which one you like best.

Cover #1
(voting has ended)

Cursive Writing Practice by the Letter is a workbook. It includes instruction for writing each letter of the alphabet and introduces a more creative, engaging way to practice and improve your writing skill: writing and mailing letters to your friends and family.

Inside you'll find tips for who to write to and what to write about along with detailed instructions for how to address an envelope ... and where to put the stamp(!).

It also includes writing samples from over 20 people (so students can learn to read, as well as write, cursive), and a selection of writing prompts from the popular "I Write Letters to Say" series.

Cover #2
(voting has ended)

So which cover do you like best?

To make your selection, just click on the cover you like, and it will generate an email that will come directly to me ... just type Cover #1, Cover #2, or Cover # 3 in the subject line and your vote will be counted. You can also add any comments or suggestions.

Next week I'll reveal which cover got the most votes and share more details about how you can order your copy of Cursive Writing Practice by the Letter.

Cover #3
(voting has ended)

Thanks for reading along (and choosing the cover you like), I really appreciate it.

P.S. If you know someone who would enjoy this email, you can forward it to them.

P.P.S. If you're writing a book, get in touch if you need help with developmental editing, design, or project management.

Deadlines and the flip side of procrastination

12/5/2019

I put it off as long as I could.
It was a side project I was working on and I was having trouble settling on a theme. A theme and an illustration. I'd done a lot of thinking, but had done nothing concrete to move things forward.

So I sat at my desk and started mapping out ideas. A list of words. A list of images. And (no surprise, really), it worked. Ideas started to materialize.

I settled on a theme.

A snowy night. A night when snowbanks shimmer like sparkle snow in a storefront window.

And with a theme, things shifted.

The ideas started to flow.

The snowy night led to the idea of adding animals. But what kind?

Animals that turn white in winter (there are fewer than I expected). The Peary caribou is one and it would be the first of four I would include in the drawing.

Things were finally coming together. I had the shape of the caribou defined and most of the night sky around it was filled in.

But something was wrong.

The nose. With a pointed eraser, I rubbed it out. And something happened. The area I erased looked like the breath of the caribou. I was so surprised at the sight of it. Serendipity had stepped in and transformed the drawing.

The relief I felt was audible. This was going to work.

The drawing came together, I met my deadline, and felt good about what I had created.

And (fingers crossed), I learned something.

Start before you're ready.

Procrastination is hard to eliminate entirely, but sometimes a deep breath, a pencil (and an eraser), and a list will get things going.

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Production Notes:
On the final panel, I added a line from a cut-up poetry exercise. The original pencil drawing along with the hand lettering was scanned. Color was applied in InDesign.

Click on the drawing to enlarge.

If I can help you move forward with your project, let's do it.
Call 207-252-9757 or email me to get started.

At Composition 1206 we make you look good. Online and in print.
design/editing
websites • books

When is a lost art a lost cause?

11/21/2019

I'm writing a book.

Here's the working title:
The Snail Mail Guide to Cursive Writing Practice

I'm fairly sure the title isn't catchy enough, but it tells it like it is. Maybe that's good? I'm working on it.

It's an instruction book for writing in cursive and using letter writing as a way to practice.

But why write a book about two outmoded topics?

I believe they still matter.
Why?

Writing by hand helps us process and retain information.*
Cursive writing instruction is being cut from school lessons.**
Letter writing makes good writing practice. (There's word choice, structure, and storytelling in every letter.)
People love getting snail mail. (They really do. Like, a lot.)

My deadline for the first draft is the end of this month.

After that? I've got a few letters to write.

P.S. Are you writing a book? Or thinking about writing a book?

I can help you with organization, structure and flow, copy editing, and design. Call (207) 252-9757 or email me today to talk about your book project.

P.P.S. Need some letter writing ideas or encouragement? Take a peek at my letter writing site: Postmark1206.

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* Take Notes by Hand for Better Long-term Comprehension
**Why Don't the Common-Core Standards Include Cursive Writing?

I'm voting today. Here's why.

11/5/2019

What would it be like if we couldn't vote?

That's what I think about on election day. I think about it because voter turnout can be dismal.

I think about it because there are four amendments to the Constitution related to voting rights. Amendments that give people who were denied the right to vote their voting rights. People like Elizabeth Cady Stanton.

In 1848 Elizabeth Cady Stanton had had enough.

It was unacceptable that as a woman, she was not allowed to vote. For more than 50 years, she fought for the right to cast a ballot. And she died nearly two decades before the 19th Amendment would pass. That's 70 years.

It took far too long.

Today I will vote. I will vote for Elizabeth Cady Stanton and all the women who fought alongside her. And I will vote for those who fought for the 15th Amendment, the 24th Amendment, and the Voting Rights Act.

I will vote because I can.

One person, one vote. It matters, and it counts.

-----------------

I created this infographic to inspire more people to vote on election day.

If you have information you'd like to share in an infographic, write today to talk about how we can work together.

Need a fresh take?

10/24/2019

Flipping the switch was flipping me out. Last week's storm left us without power.

It was Thursday morning and I was up early. Not because the alarm went off. No, it was the rain lashing against the bedroom window that woke me. Woke me before the alarm that was set for 5:00. So I got up.

Fifteen minutes later the power went out.

It was a blackout: no power, no lights, no heat, no opening the refrigerator, and no computer.

A day and a half later (37 hours, but really, who's counting) we still didn't have power.

But I was still flipping switches.

You'd think that after 37 hours I would have stopped.

It wasn't that I was hoping the power was back, it was utterly clear that it wasn't. It was habit. An especially bad habit in light of things.

At least a dozen times I flipped a wall switch. And each time it was the same thing. Nothing.

It was worse than nothing.

I was ready to scream. Well, I did scream. It was so frustrating.

Flipping the switch was flipping me out.

So I put my headlamp on.
The headlamp gave me what I needed: a beam of light.

All the light I needed and a fresh approach to a nagging problem.

Another blackout.
The illustration at the top of this email is newspaper blackout. In the storm's aftermath, I couldn't resist the combination.

I studied the words until something popped:
The point is to see it fresh.

Are you struggling with a project?
If so, maybe I can help:

• copywriting
• editing
• design
for
• books
• blog posts
• email marketing
• websites

Call 207-252-9757 or write today for a free consultation and a fresh start.

3 Things Brussels Sprouts Taught Me About Writing

10/1/2019

Photo of Brussels Sprouts with Blog Title

It was the third round of editing on a piece I was writing about the autumn harvest. It was all about kale, collards, squash, and Brussels sprouts. The problem was, I had it all wrong.

Instead of Brussels sprouts, I was writing brussel sprouts. No capital B at the beginning, no s on the end of Brussels.

I'd cooked and eaten lots of Brussels sprouts, but clearly I'd never written about them.

Lesson #1: Proper names have proper spellings.
When a red line appeared below the misspelled "brussel," I was surprised. So I checked the dictionary.

I found the correct spelling: A capital B? A bit more digging revealed the name comes from the city of Brussels, in Belgium.

Wholly cabbage.

Unless you're certain about the correct spelling of a product, a city, a town, someone's name, title, or product, look it up.

That was last year. This year, I have another editing tip courtesy of the Brussels sprout.

Last week I was watching a cooking show when the chef introduced a new segment by saying, "Today we're making Brussels sprouts."

Lesson #2: Ask yourself, "Is that what's really going on?"
Of course the chef wouldn't be "making" Brussels sprouts, as in constructing or creating them. He would be cooking them. Or, maybe he'd be roasting them.

In the context of the show, it didn't matter much. It was a live taping and viewers could watch and listen.

But his word choice caught my ear. I've been writing a lot and that means I'm rewriting and editing a lot.

I wanted to edit the script, to rewind the tape and have the chef say, "Today we're roasting Brussels sprouts."

Roasting is a more descriptive word. Making is vague and in this example, inaccurate.

Every word has a purpose.

Lesson #3: Just because you're familiar with something doesn't mean you know all you need to know.

It turns out eating Brussels sprouts didn't make me an expert. From misspellings to context and relevance, it's important to know what you're writing about. Do some research. Dig around. What you find may not only surprise you, it could add a new dimension to your project.

Autumn Harvest by Christine Richards

Get Your Cabbage On
Are you a fan? Brussels sprouts with a capital B offer a boost of vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin K. And they're good for gut health, too.

The only question is, how will you cook them?

Feeling the heat?
If you don't like to write, are feeling overwhelmed, or just need a fresh set of eyes to read through what you written, let me know. I can help with:

editing
writing
content development
project management
websites
legacy books
magazines

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Notes on illustrations:
The title illustration with the Brussels sprouts images was created for this post. The letter is hand-drawn using Ledge, a lettering style I developed for my Riddle Me Mail project. If you're interested, here's a how-to lettering guide for Ledge.

The autumn collage was also created for Riddle Me Mail. You can learn more about my collage process here.

Call 207-252-9757 or write today for a free consultation.

A Fowl Approach to Writing Well When Words Fail You

9/5/2019

Love It or Hate It
Whether or not you like to write, it seems most of us have to do some sort of writing at some point.

Email is ever-present, websites are all about content, content, content, and blogs can challenge the best of us.

Getting Started
When I'm struggling to begin a new writing project, big or small, I remind myself that getting something down on paper is a good first step. It can be an outline, a summary, or a list. Something, anything to get me started.

When Things Get Fuzzy
After two, three, or four rounds of writing, editing, and rewriting, things can get fuzzy. Overwhelm sets in and I'm burdened by the order of things. I worry about what it is I'm trying say, how much to say, and how to say it.

That's when I revisit one of these books:

• Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott
• Writing Well, William Zinsser
• Words Fail Me, Patricia T. O'Conner

Revisiting them reminds me what it takes to write well.

• In Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott, reminds me that I just need to start. Forget about word choice and form. Just write.

• On Writing Well by William Zinsser reminds me that good writing is all about rewriting and clearing the clutter.

• Words Fail Me is funny. Patricia T. O'Conner reminds me that each sentence has a job to do, that clarity is paramount, and it's OK to lighten up a bit.

I've read each one of these books cover to cover, many times. But it's hard to remember it all. When my writing gets the best of me, I grab one, read a chapter or two, take a deep breath, and get back to writing.

Writing Is Hard
If you don't like to write, are feeling overwhelmed, or just need a fresh set of eyes to read through what you've written, I can help:

• writing
• editing
• content development

If I can help, call 207-252-9757 or write today for a free consultation.

And stay tuned. I've got a new book in the works. Here's a hint:

Panting Dogs and Misconceptions

8/7/2019

I don't know about you, but I always thought The Dog Days of Summer were those days when it's so hot, all the dogs are panting.

Well, the heat does make them, and most of us, pant. But that's not where the name comes from.

Unexpected Insights
No, the term comes from ancient forecasters and astrologers who noticed the seasonal alignment of the Sun and Sirius (the Dog Star constellation). They believed the combination generated more heat and called the stretch between July 3 and August 11, The Dog Days of Summer.

My curiosity about The Dog Days of Summer started with the August edition of my Riddle Me Mail project. I was searching for a theme and decided to go with what I thought I knew about The Dog Days of Summer.

Connecting the Dots
So why do The Dog Days of Summer matter? They're a good example of how often we think we know something, but don't know the whole story.

How one thought leads to another, and how unexpected connections can generate new interest in a familiar topic.

Share What You Know
When it came time to design the stationery for Riddle Me Mail, I settled on postcards and decided to share what I'd learned, adding information about Canis Major, the constellation that features the Dog Star, Sirius.

I also learned that Sirius is the brightest star in the sky, not the North Star. Did you know that?

What About Your Business?
What information could you share or clarify? Is there a backstory about your business or products people would find interesting?

Are there ways you might simplify your message?

Could you present it in a new format or context that would generate new interest?

If I can help, let me know.

We design and edit websites, books, and presentations.

A 3-Course Cook-Off and Why Lists Make Good Content

7/24/2019

There’s a reason you see so many lists online.

They’re easy to share and easy to skim, and that makes great content for your website or blog.

The KEY to a good list though, is making it interesting and helpful. It doesn’t do any good if your list repeats common knowledge, or leaves people wondering how to do what you suggest.

With our 3-Course Cook-Off And Other Things to Do On A Rainy Day, we illustrate just how you can build an interesting and helpful list. Click here or on the image above read the three things to do on a rainy day.

At Composition 1206, we are information architects. If you have information to share and want to be sure it reads well and makes you proud we can help. Let’s talk!

We design and edit:
websites • books • presentations

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