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Writing Warm Fuzzy and Fun
Anne Ashby
Writing Warm Fuzzy and Fun
Anne Ashby
This Month's Blog:
20 February
As the release of "Wilderness Liaison" looms closer I'm spending more time on the Internet. A social media presence is supposed to help with promotion. I'd rather there was a bunch of little magic fairies somewhere that I could call upon to help. Their efforts would be about as helpful as mine are. I've decided promotion isn't only 'unnatural' for me, but also so time consuming. Fumbling around in the darkness of this social media set up is worse than any "walk on the dark side" but complaining won't help me sell books. Get on with it, Annie, get your name out there. I'm trying, I'm trying I feel like screaming.
Talking with other writers is so essential. Their support is wonderful and the help and advice they so often share is so worthwhile, not to mention uplifting. This week I've been privileged to "meet" a fellow writer living in Spain. Not only have we already become real friends, rather than just names on FB or Twitter, but she's helped by giving me some very solid ideas. I also lurked on a promotion workshop this week. I didn't feel I learned much - I'm already attempting to do most of what was suggested - but its great to hear that your efforts coincide with others who are having success. It boosts one's morale to know you'll achieve similar success too, just hang on in there.
9 February
How important is our ancestry? Does it impact on the person we become? Very much so, I believe.
I have a deep interest in genealogy and while living a fair distant from any extended family, I truly feel that "family" is the essence of life. Whether you are in touch on a daily basis or whether its through infrequent phone calls/emails/letters, our family dictates so much of who we are. I was lucky enough to have a mother who enjoys telling stories, and evenings spent around the fireplace listening to her relate experiences of her childhood absolutely fascinated me. From an early age I wanted to learn more and more about my family and plied Mum with never-ending questions. I'm still asking questions. Every visit I carry a school notebook, with scribbled queries to jog her memory. I always come home with some snippet she had never told me before. So the fascination goes on. It's inconceivable to me that many people have no knowledge of even their grandparents, let alone great grandparents. I feel so sorry for these people, they are missing so much. I watch "Who do you think you are?" constantly shaking my head in disbelief. Mum's stories made her parents and grandparents come alive for us. She related happy and sad occasions, triumphant and disillusioning occasions, tragedies and celebrations. She suggested character traits we shared, or didnt share, physical similarities. I've been able to tell my daughter her six month old son, currently sprouting what looks very like red hair, will have inherited those genes from his Scottish grandmother, six times removed. I hope he will take some pride in that knowledge as he grows up.