Once or twice a week I scour the online editions of a selection of major newspapers. Out of the hundreds of headlines, I tend to only read 2-3 articles. These are the three I read this week.
1. According to the Wall Street Journal, the #1 deal-breaker in marriages is...wait for it...
Nagging!
If you'd like more information, you can catch the video HERE. A few of the insights made perfect sense to me.
- Women tend to nag more than men, and we do it because we feel ignored.
- Men tend to shut down when being nagged, and they're less likely to follow orders when we nag.
- When hit with the urge to nag, we should ask ourselves if it's a reasonable request and if we can trust that our husband will handle it.
2. I had a pithy response to the outcry over Mitt Romney's 2010 tax receipts, but the issue at hand is far more complex than I wish to delve into. I will say this, I'm surprised none of the candidates has taken the opportunity to push a flat-tax-rate agenda. Maybe time will tell...
Insert butterflies and rainbows: In my fantasy world, taxes would be fair to everyone, simple to file, and wouldn't discourage anyone from pursuing the American dream.
3. And onto even more pressing news, last week's issue of UsWeekly says Russell Brand might be sharing a tell-all book about his brief marriage to Katy Perry. All I can say is the guy has crazy eyes and I'm not sure why she married him in the first place. Do we really need to know all of their dirty secrets? (I'm not answering that, because the fact I subscribe to UsWeekly effectively condemns me. I probably DO need to know all of their dirty secrets.)
So that's it.
What news interested you this week?
Have a fabulous Friday!!
Showing posts with label wall street journal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wall street journal. Show all posts
Friday, January 27, 2012
Friday, September 16, 2011
Publications I'm Enjoying
One of my favorite magazines is Everyday with Rachael Ray. I've subscribed to various cooking magazines over the years, but this one does such a great job keeping me engaged. One of the new features, "This Month's Menu," is a two-page spread of thumbnail snapshots for every recipe in the issue. Seeing a picture of the recipe greatly increases my desire to try it.
I recently saw another example of this type of feature on Wall Street Journal's online magazine. The interactive web page, The Off-Duty 50, has snapshots and links of 50 fall trends. Again, I found it very entertaining and time-worthy.
Katie Brown puts out visually delicious books on entertaining and cooking. I just borrowed Katie Brown Celebrates from the library. With full page pictures of decorations and recipes, the book kept me entertained for over an hour.
These are just a few examples of publications, online and in-print, that have succeeded not only in capturing my interest but in keeping it for future issues.
What publications or websites are keeping your interest lately?
(The winner of a copy of Jody Hedlund's latest, The Doctor's Lady, will be chosen tonight! If you haven't entered, head to this post, 5 Reasons to Read Jody Hedlund's The Doctor's Lady and leave a comment with your e-mail address by 5pm Eastern time! Winner will be announced Monday, September 19, 2011!)
Have you ever struggled with a crummy attitude? Head to MVRWA's blog today for my post, "Why a Crummy Attitude Hurts Us."
Have a fabulous weekend!
I recently saw another example of this type of feature on Wall Street Journal's online magazine. The interactive web page, The Off-Duty 50, has snapshots and links of 50 fall trends. Again, I found it very entertaining and time-worthy.
Katie Brown puts out visually delicious books on entertaining and cooking. I just borrowed Katie Brown Celebrates from the library. With full page pictures of decorations and recipes, the book kept me entertained for over an hour.
These are just a few examples of publications, online and in-print, that have succeeded not only in capturing my interest but in keeping it for future issues.
What publications or websites are keeping your interest lately?
(The winner of a copy of Jody Hedlund's latest, The Doctor's Lady, will be chosen tonight! If you haven't entered, head to this post, 5 Reasons to Read Jody Hedlund's The Doctor's Lady and leave a comment with your e-mail address by 5pm Eastern time! Winner will be announced Monday, September 19, 2011!)
Have you ever struggled with a crummy attitude? Head to MVRWA's blog today for my post, "Why a Crummy Attitude Hurts Us."
Have a fabulous weekend!
Friday, April 15, 2011
How the Winklevoss Twins Can Help Your Novel
Last year the based-on-true-events (ahem, fictional) movie, "The Social Network," about Facebook made a huge splash. Two of the main players in the film and in real-life were the Winklevoss twins who claimed Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, stole their idea and code after agreeing to work on a similar website for their company ConnectU. The twins then sued Facebook and eventually settled in 2008 with $20 million in cash and $45 million in Facebook stock.
Well, the twins are at it again. According to "Winklevoss Twins Can't Back Out of Deal on Facebook, Judge Says," by Scott Morrison in the Wall Street Journal (article is linked), the duo feel duped out of money based on the valuations of the company. Since they agreed to the settlement in which they signed a release of all claims against Facebook, they will not be entitled to more cash. Naturally, their lawyer will seek a rehearing with the appeals court bench.
Forgive me for not feeling sorry for these two. Sure, the movie portrayed them as upstanding, moral citizens who trusted the wrong guy, but in my experience, real-life doesn't usually work that way. It's difficult for me to buy that a couple of brilliant Harvard guys really just slid their extensive plans for a social media site to some random computer programmer--without expecting him to sign any sort of legal agreement. I'm not saying Mr. Zuckerberg didn't maximize on their idea or that he has a clear conscience, but I'm also not saying anyone involved was blameless. Only the people involved know the truth.
What I do know is that some people don't know when it's time to let go, and that's how the Winklevoss twins can help your novel.
Does your character have an unreasonable hold on a past event? Something she just can't let go of but should?
The W twins have gotten their piece of the Facebook pie. From what I understand, they sued over the loss of their concept and possibly computer code. They did not put any time into actually creating and running Facebook as it exists today. Without a brilliant founder, Facebook would have crashed and burned long ago. There's no question Zuckerberg and the other leaders of Facebook constantly work on improving and expanding the site. So do the twins really deserve more money? More stock?
Why can't they let this go?
We've all been betrayed. But at some point we must move on. We can't keep returning to a past event with the hopes of it turning out differently. It won't. It's over.
But that's the great part about fiction--we get to watch someone else stew over past events. We can feel the bitterness, the rage, and even the petty self-involvement as they focus on what went wrong. And hopefully, we get to watch them let go, move on, and hope for a better future.
I hope the Winklevoss twins can move on. They aren't ever going to get from Facebook what they really want--to be the founders, creators, and managers of their social network dream.
If you're a writer, do your characters ever hold on to something for too long? If you're a reader, do you enjoy books where a character refuses to let go of something from his past?
Enjoy your Friday!
Well, the twins are at it again. According to "Winklevoss Twins Can't Back Out of Deal on Facebook, Judge Says," by Scott Morrison in the Wall Street Journal (article is linked), the duo feel duped out of money based on the valuations of the company. Since they agreed to the settlement in which they signed a release of all claims against Facebook, they will not be entitled to more cash. Naturally, their lawyer will seek a rehearing with the appeals court bench.
Forgive me for not feeling sorry for these two. Sure, the movie portrayed them as upstanding, moral citizens who trusted the wrong guy, but in my experience, real-life doesn't usually work that way. It's difficult for me to buy that a couple of brilliant Harvard guys really just slid their extensive plans for a social media site to some random computer programmer--without expecting him to sign any sort of legal agreement. I'm not saying Mr. Zuckerberg didn't maximize on their idea or that he has a clear conscience, but I'm also not saying anyone involved was blameless. Only the people involved know the truth.
What I do know is that some people don't know when it's time to let go, and that's how the Winklevoss twins can help your novel.
Does your character have an unreasonable hold on a past event? Something she just can't let go of but should?
The W twins have gotten their piece of the Facebook pie. From what I understand, they sued over the loss of their concept and possibly computer code. They did not put any time into actually creating and running Facebook as it exists today. Without a brilliant founder, Facebook would have crashed and burned long ago. There's no question Zuckerberg and the other leaders of Facebook constantly work on improving and expanding the site. So do the twins really deserve more money? More stock?
Why can't they let this go?
We've all been betrayed. But at some point we must move on. We can't keep returning to a past event with the hopes of it turning out differently. It won't. It's over.
But that's the great part about fiction--we get to watch someone else stew over past events. We can feel the bitterness, the rage, and even the petty self-involvement as they focus on what went wrong. And hopefully, we get to watch them let go, move on, and hope for a better future.
I hope the Winklevoss twins can move on. They aren't ever going to get from Facebook what they really want--to be the founders, creators, and managers of their social network dream.
If you're a writer, do your characters ever hold on to something for too long? If you're a reader, do you enjoy books where a character refuses to let go of something from his past?
Enjoy your Friday!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Self-Assessing Our Work
In the Wall Street Journal's Speakeasy section, I ran across an interview "'Memento' Star Guy Pearce Knows How Good (and Bad) He Is" and one of the questions/answers made me stop and nod my head.
Todd Gilchrist, the author of the piece, asked, "How eager are you then to revisit or deconstruct your performances after you’ve finished them?" And Guy Pearce responded,
As writers, we hear how important it is to have outside eyes on our project, how we need objective input on our manuscripts. I agree, but I also think we need to self-assess our work.
For aspiring authors, this might mean analyzing our queries if we aren't getting requests to submit. Is the tone of the query accurately reflecting the genre of the book? Is the query blurb too vague or generic? Or if the book is getting requested, we can save the query as an example of what works.
If after being requested, the book ends up being rejected again and again, we're wise to try to pinpoint areas our book suffers. Pretend you're a reader who has never read a novel in your genre before. Try to see it through new eyes. Write down your impressions and mentally tuck away this information. Any insight we gain will help us.
If you're certain the book couldn't be improved, consider other reasons it might be getting sent back. Maybe the writing shines but the genre isn't selling well, or it's set in a time period no publisher wants. Publishers don't want to gamble. They want books they know they can sell.
For published authors, consider taking a few hours to think about what worked and what didn't in your previously released book. Did any reader comments resonate that you can either incorporate more of or avoid in your new book? For example, the readers consistently raved about your heroine or mentioned how much they loved the setting. Use this to build on the success of your last book.
Do you take the time to analyze what is working and what isn't in your writing? Do the results surprise you?
Have an amazing Wednesday!
Todd Gilchrist, the author of the piece, asked, "How eager are you then to revisit or deconstruct your performances after you’ve finished them?" And Guy Pearce responded,
Well, the first thing is that when you watch the film, is [you want to know] am
I in the right movie? Did I land tonally where I should have landed? And you
either do or you don’t, and then if you don’t, you’ve got to sort of assess why
that happened – it might just be bad communication between you and the director,
or you may have been pushing for something that isn’t right, your personality
was stronger than the director’s, or the director kind of got it wrong and they
guided you in a direction that wasn’t right...
As writers, we hear how important it is to have outside eyes on our project, how we need objective input on our manuscripts. I agree, but I also think we need to self-assess our work.
For aspiring authors, this might mean analyzing our queries if we aren't getting requests to submit. Is the tone of the query accurately reflecting the genre of the book? Is the query blurb too vague or generic? Or if the book is getting requested, we can save the query as an example of what works.
If after being requested, the book ends up being rejected again and again, we're wise to try to pinpoint areas our book suffers. Pretend you're a reader who has never read a novel in your genre before. Try to see it through new eyes. Write down your impressions and mentally tuck away this information. Any insight we gain will help us.
If you're certain the book couldn't be improved, consider other reasons it might be getting sent back. Maybe the writing shines but the genre isn't selling well, or it's set in a time period no publisher wants. Publishers don't want to gamble. They want books they know they can sell.
For published authors, consider taking a few hours to think about what worked and what didn't in your previously released book. Did any reader comments resonate that you can either incorporate more of or avoid in your new book? For example, the readers consistently raved about your heroine or mentioned how much they loved the setting. Use this to build on the success of your last book.
Do you take the time to analyze what is working and what isn't in your writing? Do the results surprise you?
Have an amazing Wednesday!
Monday, February 14, 2011
The Love Edition
Happy Valentine's Day!
I love romance, love Valentine's Day and the unabashed joy of love.
How important is love? Elizabeth Bernstein wrote an article for The Wall Street Journal, "How--and Why--to Say "I Love You" to Friends and Family." I loved the article and got a bit misty-eyed at the Piglet reference.
Why is it so difficult to say these words to certain people?
I wish I had the answer, but in the name of Valentine's Day, go ahead and tell those closest to you that you love them. If they seem shocked, you can attribute it to the holiday! If the words lodge in your throat like a huge wad of cheese, at least show them you love them with a kind gesture. A big hug always tells someone you care.
For those of you without a recipient for a loving gesture, why not take the opportunity to do something really nice for yourself? Is there something you've put off because it seems extravagant? Today's the day! Go ahead and indulge in a box of chocolates, a thick book, a trip to the movies, or whatever is on your wish list. Sometimes the person we need to hear "I love you" the most from is from ourselves.
How will you show your love this holiday?
Happy Valentine's Day!
I love romance, love Valentine's Day and the unabashed joy of love.
How important is love? Elizabeth Bernstein wrote an article for The Wall Street Journal, "How--and Why--to Say "I Love You" to Friends and Family." I loved the article and got a bit misty-eyed at the Piglet reference.
Why is it so difficult to say these words to certain people?
I wish I had the answer, but in the name of Valentine's Day, go ahead and tell those closest to you that you love them. If they seem shocked, you can attribute it to the holiday! If the words lodge in your throat like a huge wad of cheese, at least show them you love them with a kind gesture. A big hug always tells someone you care.
For those of you without a recipient for a loving gesture, why not take the opportunity to do something really nice for yourself? Is there something you've put off because it seems extravagant? Today's the day! Go ahead and indulge in a box of chocolates, a thick book, a trip to the movies, or whatever is on your wish list. Sometimes the person we need to hear "I love you" the most from is from ourselves.
How will you show your love this holiday?
Happy Valentine's Day!
Monday, January 17, 2011
The Price of Excellence
My favorite section in Entertainment Weekly Magazine is the book section. The January 14, 2011 issue reviewed Amy Chua's memoir, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother. Ms. Chua chronicles her decision to raise her two daughters in "the Chinese Way," a strict, success-oriented method of parenting.
The review intrigued me, but not enough to add it to my to-be-read list. Then last week, I noticed several retweets of a Wall Street Journal article, and I recognized the author as Amy Chua. I had to check it out.
The title of the article, "Why Chinese Mothers are Superior," (the article is linked if you're interested in reading it) instantly made me uncomfortable. It's like saying "why working mothers are better than stay-at-home mothers" or vice-versa. I'm not a fan of mommy wars of any type. Naturally, I clicked on the link and read the piece.
A few things struck me at once. This mother is on a mission to raise proficient children, and she's not afraid to be controversial to get her point across. You really have to read the article to believe it. I give her credit for her honesty, but I am too "western" to accept her methods.
There is a price for excellence. It's hard work, perseverance, and sticking with something even when it's hard. I don't mind working hard at my books, persevering through rough revising patches, and sticking with a project even when it's hard.
But there's also a price for expectations. Since I set my own expectations and my own goals, I want to reach my goal. It's deep within my soul. When children can have no expectations or goals of their own choosing, I wonder what the cost is to them? Do they want to reach their parents' goals? And if they do, is it to please their parents? To get them off their back? When they are adults, are they still living up to their parents' vision of what their lives should be?
I don't have the answer for that. I don't believe there is only one way to raise a child. God gave us our kids to be uniquely raised by us.
I'm happy to raise my kids in "the Western way." I expect them to get good grades, I expect them to be high achievers, but I also expect them to be in touch with their own desires and needs. One of the virtues of being raised in "the Western way" is that our kids are independent. They make up their own minds. They're creative, and if something sparks their interest, they'll spend hours and months and years of their lives dedicated to it--not because we forced them, but because they want to.
Do you get riled up when you read controversial titles? What about the price of excellence--do you think there can be positive and negative costs involved?
Have a great Monday!
The review intrigued me, but not enough to add it to my to-be-read list. Then last week, I noticed several retweets of a Wall Street Journal article, and I recognized the author as Amy Chua. I had to check it out.
The title of the article, "Why Chinese Mothers are Superior," (the article is linked if you're interested in reading it) instantly made me uncomfortable. It's like saying "why working mothers are better than stay-at-home mothers" or vice-versa. I'm not a fan of mommy wars of any type. Naturally, I clicked on the link and read the piece.
A few things struck me at once. This mother is on a mission to raise proficient children, and she's not afraid to be controversial to get her point across. You really have to read the article to believe it. I give her credit for her honesty, but I am too "western" to accept her methods.
There is a price for excellence. It's hard work, perseverance, and sticking with something even when it's hard. I don't mind working hard at my books, persevering through rough revising patches, and sticking with a project even when it's hard.
But there's also a price for expectations. Since I set my own expectations and my own goals, I want to reach my goal. It's deep within my soul. When children can have no expectations or goals of their own choosing, I wonder what the cost is to them? Do they want to reach their parents' goals? And if they do, is it to please their parents? To get them off their back? When they are adults, are they still living up to their parents' vision of what their lives should be?
I don't have the answer for that. I don't believe there is only one way to raise a child. God gave us our kids to be uniquely raised by us.
I'm happy to raise my kids in "the Western way." I expect them to get good grades, I expect them to be high achievers, but I also expect them to be in touch with their own desires and needs. One of the virtues of being raised in "the Western way" is that our kids are independent. They make up their own minds. They're creative, and if something sparks their interest, they'll spend hours and months and years of their lives dedicated to it--not because we forced them, but because they want to.
Do you get riled up when you read controversial titles? What about the price of excellence--do you think there can be positive and negative costs involved?
Have a great Monday!
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