Home Page of Anne Ashby Writing Warm Fuzzy and Fun Stories

This Month's Blogs...

28 January

Using single speech marks can be the pits, especially if your editor prefers double. Ignoring the advice I was once given to continue using double speech marks, over the last couple of years I've re-trained myself to use single. After all, I wisely decided, single meant one less key strike every time I used dialogue, so obviously this would increase the speed of my typing, hence my stories completion would occur that little bit quicker. Sound, common sense, I decided. Until my latest submission was politely returned to me, asking for double speech marks. I already knew to dread such a request. Why? Because it involves a whole heap of laborious editing. Yeah, its basic to do a find and replace, but unfortunately these clued up computers don't differentiate between a single speech mark and an apostrophe. This week I've been ploughing through 400 pages searching for and replacing "double" apostrophes, not an interesting or rewarding task. Still, I'm almost finished. Hopefully next week I can return to actually writing something, until then, my advice regarding this tiny little thing is to always use double speech marks. They can be easily changed if your editor prefers single.

19 January

Yesterday I experienced the worst of being a writer. Having just received another round of edits I was keen to get them completed and returned to my editor as quickly as possible. I figure this is the professional approach I want to extend to all my writing. While I sat at my computer squirreling on for what ended up being over eleven hours - breaks were so short I never gave a thought to looking out any window - I missed out on something special. Unbeknown to me outside the sun blazed furiously in what might well turn out to be the loveliest day of the whole summer. One of my teens coming home late in the afternoon complaining of the heat alerted me to this wonderful day, but, alas, it was almost over. I had the satisfaction of hitting the send key and shooting those completed edits right back, but I'd missed getting out into the fresh air and enjoying a beautiful day. I don't really regret the price I paid for yesterday, but it showed me a negative side of being a writer. Not that that will impact too much on me.

10 January

A belated happy new year to you all. I trust the holiday period for you has been filled with joy and happiness, fun and festivities, surrounded by your friends and loved ones. As the second week of another new year already zooms past I'm determined to set some achievable goals before Christmas again rushes down upon us. I have given up on dreaming up resolutions which do little but help me feel a failure when I don't succeed. Instead I try to follow an axiom I've had hanging on my wall for some years - its worthy of note not just for a New Year, but for every day.

"This is a new day.

God has given me this day to use as I will.

I can waste it or grown in its light and be of service to others.

But what I do with this day is important, because I have exchanged a day of my life for it.

When tomorrow comes, today will be gone forever.

I hope I will not regret the price I paid for it."

Good luck achieving your goals this year, sticking to your resolutions if you made any, and making something out of every day God gives you.