My Favorite Blogs: How Tos, Who Dos, and Need to Knows

Posted on April 22, 2023 by mestengobooks

Source: Google Images/passionwp.com

Looking for Ideas

In trying to come up with a new post, I did what I often do – I re-read my previous posts for inspiration. I noticed some patterns in my blog posts and some, well, obsessions, actually. Like my obsession with good grammar. Did you note that in this post’s title I used plural (Dos) and not possessive (Do’s) form?

That’s in favorite grammar blog #2!

I have noted more than once my loathing for poor grammar, as it makes for poor communication and lowers a writer’s credibility. Turns out, when I looked through my blog, I have written a number of posts on this very subject. To keep the list manageable, I created a ‘top ten’ list of grammar-related posts that I personally like. Think of this as an opportunity to refresh your memory:

On poor grammar and writing:

Then I noticed other patterns. For example, I have written many blog posts related to the concept of home and for writers in general. These ‘top ten’ posts are where I feel my narrative writing style stands out and they provide some good information:

Home and writer-related:

Then I saw another distinct pattern – of writing miscellaneous, fill-in-the-space-between-bad-grammar-rants blog posts. These ‘top ten’ ranged from personal stories to personal opinions and everywhere in between:

Miscellany:

So there you have it. Just in case you missed any…feel free to click on the links and expand your mind…

Now that’s tootin’ my own horn… (wink wink nudge nudge)

#writersonwordpress #writersoninstagram #writersontwitter #mestengobooks #fiction #writingstyle #blogging #blogger #gettingpaidtowrite #grammar #language #books #library #booklover #storyteller

Want to Improve Your Writing? Go Read a Dictionary!

Posted on March 24, 2023 by mestengobooks

Source: Google Images/https://people.howstuffworks.com/words-removed-dictionary.htm

More Than Just A Book of Words

Reading a dictionary – now there’s a novel idea. And a challenging one, at that. I’d been thinking about what to post next; as I considered topics, something came to me:

A dictionary contains every word in every story you’ve ever read or written or will ever read or write. When was the last time you read through one?

Or have you ever tried?

And then I came across a short but informative article on just this subject. It’s a great little article on why reading a dictionary will greatly improve your writing and I’ll quote often from it here because he made so many wonderful points.

“When I misbehaved as a kid, writing out sections of the dictionary was the way my father punished me. At the time, I wished he’d have chosen any other means of discipline. Throw out my Xbox, no television for a week, make me eat broccoli, anything but that dictionary I’d think. Little did I know how much this book improved my vocabulary.”

Isaiah McCall, Journalist and NYC comedian

I have a clear memory of our thick Webster’s Dictionary sitting alongside our complete set of Encyclopedia Britannica that sat in a small bookcase in the long hallway between the kitchen and living room/bedrooms. Growing up pre-Digital Age, I often referred to that dictionary when writing school papers (in longhand and rewritten often to achieve perfection because the Catholic nuns accepted no less).

“Real self-improvement is doing the activities that most people would rather avoid. It could be waking up a little earlier, exercising a bit longer, or going where few ever go to improve their writing: the dictionary.”

Isaiah McCall

Always Learning

Sure, reading books can help with learning vocabulary and improving language skills but only a dictionary can build your word base (that pesky skill that allows one to speak and write well and, diversely). Dictionaries provide so much more than just words: pronunciation, history, evolution. Even the newest lexicon is included to provide readers and perusers with so much more than JUST a word.

“You can read War and Peace or Lord of the Rings (both excellent books by the way) until your face turns blue. Yet you won’t ever learn the word axinomancy (the placement of an ax, hatchet or saw into the ground or stump of tree).”

Isaiah McCall

What’s interesting is that I learned, in reading Isaiah’s article, that dictionaries have evolved from being prescriptive (telling us how to use the book) to being descriptive (how people use language) – big difference. I clearly remember all the hubbub around the word ain’t and how it really wasn’t a word (though it is and has been for some time). There was a saying in our neighborhood (and probably in many other neighborhoods as well) – “Ain’t ain’t a word. If ain’t ain’t a word…well, I forget the rest of it…too long ago. But you get the point, since ain’t has been included in the dictionary since the 18th century!

“Instead of rushing through the dictionary to find sophisticated or bizarre words, take the book page by page — revel in the experience. Write the words down, understand them, and only after that can you continue to the next page. Unless you have a photographic memory, you‘ll likely forget some, if not most of these words. But this isn’t the point of writing out a dictionary. The point is to gain recognition and a real feel for words you never even knew existed.”

Isaiah McCall

Personally, one of my favorite words (which I learned from perusing said book) is obsequious and I do like to use it in conversation. As a child, I was obsessed with pronouncing and spelling pneumonosilicovolcanoconiosis. I can’t remember how or why I locked on to it. At the time, it was one of the LONGEST words I’d memorized, aside from supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, which every kid in the neighborhood knew (thanks, Mary Poppins!).

I’ll let Isaiah finish making the point for me:

“But as a writer, the dictionary allowed me to lock onto words that struck my fancy. “Videlicet” and “autodidactic” are two words I continue to use in my conversations and more importantly, my writing.

You’re bound to find a few words that will become staples in your writing.

Start with writing out 10 words a day. You can go with an “a through z” approach or flip to random pages. Either way, make sure you get your 10 words in.”

Isaiah McCall

Now go dust off that big old book or bookmark Webster’s online dictionary and get your words ON.

#writing #amwriting #MirriamWebster #Oxforddictionary #dictionary #reading #writersoninstagram #writersontwitter #vocabulary #blogging #lexicon #autodidactic #fridayfuntips #author #authoroninstagram #words #language #digitalage #technology #onlinedictionary

Organize Your Writing Space to Maximize Output and the Results May Surprise You

Posted on March 11, 2023 by mestengobooks

Source: Google Images/https://www.lesliebudewitz.com/feng-shui-for-a-writers-office/

Just a Little Reminder for a Big Effect

Back in 2017, I posted a blog on setting up your writing space for better success. I’m still a firm believer in space arrangement and how it affects your work and home, and a springtime newsletter from a feng shui expert prompted me to remind you all as well.

“A writer’s office should be a haven, a sanctuary. A safe place to explore unknown realms of the heart and mind. A nest, a birthing place. An efficient model of production where computers and printers spit out polished manuscripts.” Leslie Budewitz, Author

The following are the top ten from Carol M. Olmstead, FSIA, Feng Shui Master Practitioner, whose feng shui newsletter I have followed since graduate school. Note what’s in the Number 1 spot – how you position yourself while you’re working, creating that next bestselling novel, that personal masterpiece.

This can make or break your writing process, if you ask me.

1. Sit (or stand) in “command” position. That is, face toward the room entrance door, preferably on a diagonal. If you can’t turn your desk around, hang or place a mirror so you can see what’s going on behind you.

Personally, this is always my go-to choice. Never liked sitting with my back to the door or a window. I want a view of who’s coming in and what’s going on outside (even when a nice window view is a not-so-welcome distraction, it beats staring at a wall). Honestly, I do feel more in control when my desk is in this position. Problem is, some people may not have enough room (read: small studio apartment or shared living space) but there are fixes available to help you write and sell that next great novel.

2. Think like Goldilocks and choose the right size desk. A desk that is too small can make you feel like you are not up to the challenge of your work. A desk that’s too big symbolizes feeling overwhelmed by tasks. An unsubstantial desk will limit your opportunities for growth and promotion.

Absolutely! I had a friend who started a home-based consulting business after leaving her corporate job. Her desk was far too tiny and narrow, I reminded her, to get the business off the ground, because it represented a lack of space (for clients/opportunities) in her life. Needless to say, until she moved out of the cramped space and got a larger desk/work area, her business stagnated, which left her in dire financial straits for a time. Now she’s growing her business and is much happier.

3. Sit in the most comfortable chair you can afford. Many companies embrace hybrid working and offer chairs and other equipment that employees can bring home. It doesn’t hurt to ask and take advantage of available options.

Who on earth wants to sit uncomfortably at all? Especially writers! We spend far too many hours bringing our imaginations to life to sit in a chair that creates discomfort. Check out consignment shops first; I found an adjustable and comfy leather swivel office chair for a whopping $4. You’ll never find unless you look.

4. Keep work out of your bedroom. Try to find another space for your home office, like in the dining room if you rarely eat there, or in an infrequently-used used guest room. If there is no other place for you to work, separate out your workspace using a floor screen, standing plants, or a curtain hung from the ceiling as a divider.

This has been difficult, especially through the Covid-19 lockdown and everyone stayed home. Private space became nonexistent or had to be shared with others. Use your imagination (you’re writers, for crissakes) and make your writing space your own.

5. Adjust the art in your workspace. Choose images that make you feel inspired, motivated, and calm. Get rid of anything you no longer like, and avoid art that’s dark, empty, lonely, or depressing, no matter how valuable or how much you paid.

Choose picture, colors and patterns that inspire. It’s that simple.

6. Add a living plant. The ideal location for a natural plant is within 3 feet of your desk to balance any issues from electromagnetic energy. Silk is acceptable if you can’t grow plants, but avoid dried flowers because they symbolize dead, unmoving energy. Also avoid cacti or other plants with sharp spikes.

I love a just-the-right-size-for-my-desk jade plant. They represent prosperity and success (upper left corner of desk) and I love their thick, moist leaves. There’s a sturdy gentleness about this plant that speaks to me. Cacti belong OUTSIDE; their sharp needles will direct negative energy directly at you and will affect how you feel and how you write.

7. Accent your workspace with color. Choose accent colors to match the bagua areas of your workspace to enhance your career path.

8. Add current photos. Display photos of mentors, family, and friends who support you. It’s okay to display photos of deceased relatives who were mentors, but balance these by also displaying current photos of you and/or your family to show continuing growth.

Dead people on my writing desk? No thanks! Talk about an inspiration killer… That’s what hallways and unused corners are for…

9. Lighten up your home office. Locate your desk as close to a window as possible, and choose full-spectrum or warm-glow bulbs that simulate daylight, rather than cold, blue-white bulbs. Avoid overhead fluorescents.

Eye strain, eyeball and temple headaches are a distraction and can be avoided with proper lighting. I love the full-spectrum bulbs; they’re sunlight in a lamp. No seasonal affective disorder with full-spectrum! And they last about six years so they’re extremely cost-effective, too.

10. Tune in to tune out distractions. Play music or use a white noise device or app in your office to drown out any distractions from inside or outside your home. This is a good time to rethink your playlist and choose more soothing sounds to balance any work-related chaos.

This one’s tough for me since I have the attention span of a squirrel. Thankfully I have several jazz apps on both phone and laptop. Soothing and allows me to focus on my work (like this post – I’m listening to KKJZ out of LA right now…).

#amwriting #fengshui #writingdesk #writersdigest #saturday #writersoninstagram #tribel

Getting Paid Writing Gigs – Can I Handle the Pressure?

Posted on February 17, 2023 by mestengobooks

Is it really this easy?

Can I Produce What They Want?

This very question came to me as I perused the media jobsite Mediabistro, just to see what they had to offer. I read job ads and descriptions, including a sidebar on each page as to what a Proofreader does, what’s expected from a Copywriter, etc.:

What does a Proofreader do?

A Proofreader is in charge of making sure work is reviewed before it goes to print. Proofreaders check documents for grammatical errors, along with looking at the body of work stylistically and making sure the margins and spacing is correct. While the job can overlap with an Editorial job, a proofreader mainly ensures that an article is free of grammatical errors. Ultimately, a proofreader works to make sure content is free of typographical, grammatical, spelling, punctuation, syntax, formatting and other such errors.

From Mediabistro.com

The job description of Proofreader fit me (and my inner Grammar Nazi) to a tee but the degrees required make me hesitate, make me question my abilities – can I provide what they need?

Each sidebar noted that a degree in English, Journalism or Communications was necessary. Is that true? Plenty of degrees require writing skills but I do wonder if I would receive consideration even though none of my degrees are in the requisite fields listed.

What are the requirements to become a Proofreader?

Similar to the requirements for most Editorial roles, this person typically has a bachelor’s degree in English, Journalism, or Communications. This person must have a high threshold for tedious work as well because most of their work will be very specific last-minute edits that sometimes they only have the eye to see. Ultimately, this role requires impeccable attention to detail and grammar.

From Mediabistro.com

Sound the Death Knell

And there it is. The anxiety-producing, I-doubt-they’ll-even-consider-me-for-the-position willies. The sheer weight of fear of that level of responsibility crushes me, keeps me from moving in the direction of ever getting a paying writing gig. How does one get past this hurdle? If I’ve been writing articles for newsletters and journals for thirty years, how is it I still think of myself as not talented enough or good enough? I’ve written books, for crissakes. Certainly experience equals or trumps any degree, right?

Just Gimme a Chance!

Maybe all I need is that first gig, that first shot at proving to myself and the contractor that I can do it. I can write. I can proofread. I can meet your deadline. I can write a paragraph or 1000 words on a topic close to your heart.

There are thousands of magazines out there. If I could drum up the courage and send out some queries, I’m sure I’d find a few takers. I get so close – I start writing an article or informational piece. Next step is the query – this is where I get stuck. So many magazines and publications – where to begin? What are their submission guidelines? The impending confusion and overwhelm pulls me back into my shell. And there I sit, a writer unpaid and afraid to reach for something more.

I can’t be alone in this – this desire to prove that I’m good enough to be paid for the work product I know (on some level, anyway) I can create. Being insecure and a writer – they do tend to go together often, don’t they? Amazing that some writers accomplish anything at all.

I’m still working on that…

My Old Posts: Like Visiting Old Friends

Posted on October 27, 2022 by mestengobooks

Source: Google Images/brainyquote.com

It’s been one of those weeks. Actually, it’s been one of those months. Health issues have taken up a large portion of my time and I’ve missed some work as a result. Now that I’m back in full swing, I’m too exhausted to even think about a new topic for my next post. So apologies all around for not writing a mind-blowing post this time around (wink wink nudge nudge)…

Stepping Back in Time…

So I did what I have an occasional habit of doing – I randomly revisit previous posts. I start with the most recent ones and at the bottom of the page I click on a post from the Related section. Sort of a ‘free association’ attempt at getting ideas for this post – and clicking on a related post after that, and so on. It has also provided an opportunity to make some updates to outdated information and add a new hyperlink here and there.

Amazing what you find when you look…back.

Eeny Meeny Miney Moe…

My first click was to this post: https://mestengobooks.com/2017/08/03/talk-to-text-a-writing-lesson/

This one didn’t go so well. I haven’t used talk-to-text since this eye-opening (and almost vomit-inducing at the sound of my own voice) attempt at a shortcut to the writing process. It seemed like a good idea at the time. C’est la vie, eh?

The next click was: https://mestengobooks.com/2016/07/22/subliminal-messages-and-the-call-of-the-word/

Too bad this one didn’t come to fruition…I got quite far into developing the chapters then gave up because I stopped practicing some years ago. But I did end the post with some good advice:

“Pay attention to the hidden messages all around you. Let them be your muse, let them inspire you to answer your ‘call of the word.”

And the next link after that: https://mestengobooks.com/2016/07/08/success-and-failure-the-yang-and-yin-of-writing-life/

“In summary, the lesson of Hexagram 47 from the I-Ching is about oppression and hope – that even during difficult or bad times we must dig down deep, not fear failure (the inevitable downswing of the life/writing-cycle), quietly embrace it, and carry on with the understanding (hope) that all will be better again (the inevitable upswing of the life/writing-cycle).”

Yikes. I’ve been in the oppression phase (yet again) but seeing this post is a reminder that what does DOWN must go UP. Here’s to mini successes! I hope they arrive soon, I’m tired of the other side of this cycle…

“Failure happens to everyone. It’s how you handle the failure. Ride it out, like a big bump in the road and you’ll come out the other side wiser, and perhaps, more successful. In whatever way that means for you.”

I sense a running theme here… (If only you could see my facial expression right now…)

And finally, the pièce de résistance: https://mestengobooks.com/2020/07/15/words-have-power-so-be-careful-how-you-use-them/

The first paragraph of this post is more than prophetic – all you have to do is read your feeds on Twitter, IG, TikTok, etc. Chaos is everywhere, especially in the American political arena, where a major war of the words (read: lies, slanders and unfounded conspiracies) has been ongoing for far too long. The danger of violence against fellow citizens (regardless of where on this globe you live) lurks around every corner and now in every grammar school. We have to take responsibility for our words and the power they can have over others. Now more than ever writers are needed to provide light and laughter, adventure, facts, TRUTH.

Yes, these wise words were mine (amazing, I know). This is why I go back and re-read – who knows what goldmine of tidbits I’ll find.

And maybe learn from, like the advice of old friend.

#writersoninstagram #authorsontwitter #thewritinglife #oldfriends #blogging #freeassociation #thursdaytips #thewritelife #author #writer #words

Would Hemingway, Fitzgerald or London Have Joined a Social Media Writers Group?

Posted on May 31, 2022 by mestengobooks

Source: Google Images/raptisrarebooks.com

I Often Wonder…

Did the great writers of the early to mid-20th century, like Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald or Jack London, share their works with each other? If available, would they have joined social media (SM) like FB or writers’ groups? Sure, they drank (all three), sometimes together (Hemingway and Fitzgerald); caroused together (the same two); even shared a few women (Hemingway) with other men. But would they have wanted or needed SM? In their day, and for centuries prior, writing was a solo activity relegated to dark offices or the corner table at a local café. Maybe that’s why so many were heavy drinkers or alcoholics… maybe some contact with other writers outside of bars to discuss their works would have made it less lonely – or more sober.

Maybe.

No Time Except for Writing

Jack London was too busy living his stories to have sat around and kibitzed online. Fitzgerald and Hemingway knew each other and were friends in Paris in the 20s. They certainly drank together and partied till the wee hours. It’s what many of the great writers did back then. When they weren’t partying or off on an adventure, they were hunkered down in front of their typewriters or pencils/pads, scratching away at novels now considered some of the greatest literary works. Would/could a FB group have improved on that? Or are writers in the 21st century more insecure or more reliant on others’ opinions? Is that insecurity a result or side effect of SM? Or is the thought of toiling away, all alone, too frightening? Do we really NEED someone else’s input to craft a great story?

Social, To a Degree

Yes, we are social creatures by nature but writers have survived for eons working on their own… or have they? Perhaps there were many discussions among writers about plot, characters and settings. In the end, though, each writer must go it alone to write the story. It’s the last bastion of solitude enjoyed by fickle artists.

I often wonder, if any of them were alive today, what they would think of SM and its effect on writing. Hemingway might have enjoyed the celebrity SM offers (he did have a bit of an ego); perhaps Fitzgerald as well. But Jack, in my opinion, would have poo-pooed the notion that he needed to join a group for ‘support.’ After all, he wrote a thousand words a day on his own and often while out living one of his stories – tinker, tailor, oyster pirate, WRITER.

A life of WORDS from a life LIVED. All without social media. Amazing.

#ErnestHemingway #FScottFitzgerald #JackLondon #writersoninstagram #authorsoninstagram #fiction #greatnovels #novelists #tuesdaytwocents #thegreatamericannovel #socialmedia #facebook #instagram #twitter #authorsontwitter

What’s So Wrong with Ordinary Anyway?

Posted on April 9, 2022 by mestengobooks

An Ordinary Life Is Good Enough After All

I have to ask: what’s so wrong with ordinary anyway? Why do we always strive for MORE? When is it ENOUGH? As my logo above states, a simple life brings more happiness; the Chinese characters translate loosely to ‘simple qi, happy life’. (I’m working on getting the logo larger, ready for t-shirts.)

This has been a theme I’ve thought a lot about the past several years. As we mature, we gain wisdom and seek out simpler lives. I no longer desire the activity and complications of my youthful life. My days of chasing dreams and reaching for the proverbial brass ring have, thankfully, come to a close. It was an exhausting run that never really came to fruition in the ways I’d hoped. As is the way for many of us, I think.

Many chase dreams; few catch them; fewer have the courage (or energy) to live them. The rest of us settle for ordinary – and that’s good enough for me.

Ordinary Is Extraordinary

Why can’t ordinary be extraordinary? The story of ordinariness is one of a simple life, not reaching for the brass ring, finding happiness in the simple moments. Ordinary means seeing the beauty in the everyday, which can seem extraordinary. The Covid lockdown taught many that the small moments are the most precious. Mantras preaching entitlement abound but in reality you must EARN what you have (physically, emotionally, financially) and you’ll appreciate it more because you did. Ordinary, in this modern, over-ambitious, over-the-top-living, Kardashian-obsessed world, is possibly the perfect remedy.

“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. When I let go of what I have, I receive what I need.”

Lao Tzu, from the Tao Te Ching

One can derive enormous pleasure from simple daily rituals. There’s a difference between living a ‘rich’ life and living an ‘enriched’ life – which have you chosen?

Keep It Simple

In my experience, artistic/creative people can be comfortable living a simple life. To focus on our art, our writing, on whatever gets us through each day is what matters most. Some may still strive for the limelight as it’s how artists can support themselves. Some strive to create and believe that the creating is what’s important, whether they support themselves with it or not. You have to choose which is best for yourself.

No matter what you choose, let it be extraordinary in the most ordinary way. That’s where true contentment lives.

#happiness #qi #simplelife #livesimply #laotzu #taoteching #writers #artists #creativity #chinesephilosophy #balancedlife #beextraordinary

I’ve Had It Up to Here So I’m Gonna Write About It

Posted on March 30, 2022 by mestengobooks

Source: Google Images/pinterest.com

As the saying goes (hence the title of this post), I’ve had up to HERE.

Enough Already

The war in Ukraine, Covid and its various affects on people and society (protests, “anti-vaxxers,” “vaxxers,” anti-maskers, fear-mongerers, lingering symptoms, community safety vs. individual rights, etc.), the lack of good paying jobs (despite what our government is crowing about, only low-paying retail/restaurant jobs are truly in abundance because nobody wants to work the crappy hours with rude customers who’ve been locked away in their homes for two years and have forgotten how to behave in public), the lack of affordable housing (having recently uprooted myself I’m experiencing this in a major way and it won’t resolve until I find a job where I earn what I’m worth which means I have to leave CA – and gladly, as I’ve already reserved my escape); the list goes on and on (as I could, trust me). I’m exhausted and frustrated with all of it.

Luckily, writing is a good outlet for those frustrations.

So Tired…

Maybe it’s because I’m getting older that the world’s busy-ness gets to me more easily. Maybe it’s because I’m artistic and sensitive and need more quiet in my life. Maybe it’s because our species seems to find immeasurable joy in violence and destruction, even if it brings about our own annihilation.

Lately, I find myself searching for feel-good movies instead of my usual action-driven films. I’m tired of the good guy/bad guy stories that repeat over and over (as if real life reflects that because it doesn’t). Perhaps I’m searching for a sense of inner quiet not found in outer society. Searching for that inner serenity that so many seek yet few rarely find. And it’s getting harder and harder (e.g., when I was 9, the global population was at ONLY 4 billion; life was slower, quieter, less crowded; no wonder I pine for “the good old days” – there were fewer of us).

…But There is a Way

Again, this is where writing can provide that much-needed inner peace and balance. Writing can be cathartic; driven by imagination and/or real life, stories abound. As writers, we can choose to reflect society and current events; we can choose to tell historical pieces (fiction or not) that help put our current lives in perspective; we can choose to shoot for the moon in fantastical stories of heroism laden with strong characters; we can choose to share pain and sadness, our characters weeping, surviving and overcoming great obstacles. We can choose.

Writing for ourselves (even if we’re just venting) and our readers (to inform and entertain) is what we do and how we find inner peace.

#writerslife #writersguild #writersdigest #fiction #nonfiction #authorsoninstagram #authorsontwitter #thewritinglife #writerblogger # #meditation #writersblog #wednesdaywisdom #literature #peaceandserenity

Update-Upgrade-Uproot-Upshot-Upbeat

Posted on March 11, 2022 by mestengobooks

PhotoFunia-1647029531

It’s that time again, when I take a closer look at my website and SM accounts and make some UPDATES. I tweaked this site a bit; I altered of some of the fonts and colors because I got bored with the way it looked. An updated site can help improve traffic flow as well as make it more aesthetic. That’s smart marketing.

I’m going to UPDATE my Twitter and Instagram user profiles over the next week from writer.mestengo to writeratmestengobooks (if it’s not too long for a username). I feel the new moniker speaks more clearly to who I am (writer) and where I’m located (mestengo books). Often it can take time to see when something as simple as a username needs to be updated for better results. More smart marketing.

I’m looking to UPGRADE Mestengo Books to a different layout, something more modern and up-to-date. I can’t seem to find a workable layout I like with both photos and text for my posts in WordPress, so I will consider the option of moving the site. Again, that’s smart marketing for writers if it brings in more readership and increases the readability of pages and posts.

At the end of this month, I will once again UPROOT myself. My current living situation has run its course. Due mainly to COVID, the cost of living on one’s own has become exorbitant and places to find are more scarce. Many of us are forced to share our living spaces to make life more cost-effective but not necessarily less stressful. I find that, as I get older (senior status now), living alone provides more satisfaction and peaceful solitude. I thoroughly love having a private space away from the rest of the world where I can do as I please, when I please, without explaining to anyone why or for how long. I paint more, I write more, I create more when I have that space to call my own.

Writers are solitary by nature. Do you find that living with others affects your writing? Positively or negatively? The UPSHOT for me is that I’m far more creative in my own space. Being cramped into a room in someone else’s house can be difficult, for a number of reasons. Perhaps that other person’s energy is not compatible and the feel of the house is stifling (like my current situation that I’m finally escaping). That can affect anyone’s creativity.

I remain UPBEAT, however, in my quest for that personal space that allows me to FLOURISH.

#fridayfunfacts #writingfiction #writingnonfiction #writersdigest #sololiving #amwriting #writerslife #fridayreads #followfriday #lovetowrite #lovetoread #writersofinstagram #writersontwitter #mustread #selfpublishing #bloggerlife #bookworm #bloggersgetsocial #instagram #twitter #goodreads

A ‘Workiversary’ Worth Noting

Posted on February 8, 2022 by mestengobooks

Source: Google Images/dontgetserious.com

Well, I made it through another year without ending up dead or in jail. I call that a win.

Anniversaries have a funny way of creeping up on me. Over the years, I’ve paid little attention to the milestones in my life. Probably came from the fact that my parents barely celebrated our birthdays beyond a cake after dinner. No parties, no balloons, no star-spangled celebrations with friends and neighbors. I learned early on that my birthday and other events were treated equally with my parents’ nonchalance. Perhaps it was because they were too exhausted from working such long hours; down time was at the end of long, arduous days, rewarded with a pilsner glass of Budweiser before dinner (mom) or vegging in front of the TV (dad) until an early bedtime.

Stickin’ With It Ain’t My Thing… But It Is For Now

In a few days, I’ll mark my 6th ‘workiversary’ of Mestengo Books. Honestly, I’ve surprised myself, as I rarely stick with anything this long. It’s a form of adult-ing in which I rarely engage; I can blame ADD and an artistic slant for that. Once I’ve learned it or learned what I need from it, I’m gone, on to the next adventure/project/task/person/city. I have found a sense of comfort in having some regularity in my life, in having my blog/website. Even though most of you don’t comment or respond to questions I still feel like I’m sharing stories with willing listeners.

And for that, I thank you all for taking the ride with me these past 6 years.

I don’t know how much longer Mestengo Books will be around but I do know this: both your presence and your absence has bettered my writing and clarified my creative process.

#happyanniversary #Mestengobooks #writerslife #blogging #storytelling #creativity #selfpublishing #writersdigest #writersofinstagram #authorsontwitter #fictionwriters #nonfictionwriters #writingcommunity #tuesdaytips

Supporting Local Authors is Good for Business

Posted on December 18, 2021 by mestengobooks

Source: http://placergoldwriters.org/Books/ThroughButtonEyes/tabid/1659/Default.aspx

A Reason to Go Local

I’m sure many of you watched the news about the devastating tornadoes, including the leveling of an Amazon warehouse in Illinois. Upon seeing the destroyed warehouse, one of my first thoughts, after concern for survivors, was “Oh man, lots of people will be angry about their Xmas packages not arriving on time.” Gifts and gotta-have-it-now items purchased online from other parts of the country, other parts of the world. It’s a “Xmas fever” that spreads around much of the world for a short season and repeats itself year to year.

Then it got me thinking…

For many years I’ve enjoyed shopping locally (I find more unique items this way) and these disastrous events have certainly emphasized my choice. I love supporting local businesses, especially those hit hard by the pandemic. You can go to a local bookstore or business and pick out the gifts yourself. I like the personal touch; I feel it gives the gift a greater meaning if I took the time to pick it out, take it home and wrap it.

Less Really Is More

Mass material consumerism has reached an all-time ‘low’, in my opinion. We have football stadium-sized warehouses where people toil under the digital gun (their movements are tracked and timed every minute of every day) to get your purchases to you ASAP. This harkens back to the factory laborers of the early twentieth century (with not much more labor protections, it seems). Complaints about late deliveries even though there’s a huge labor shortage (which some folks refuse to recognize), issues with availability of raw materials, etc., persist with no end in sight. Keeping your shopping local may decrease your purchase options but increases the opportunity to meet your neighbors and find unusual treasures.

Local Support Strengthens a Community

One way to resolve this global issue is to help our own community members thrive and supporting local authors is a good way to start. Many towns and cities often have yearly events that introduce local authors to the community. I was one such fortunate author when I lived in New Mexico, where I published my first book (it even won an award!). What a wonderful way to meet readers and other writers and discover new stories.

While much of writers’ works have gone digital (eBooks, Audible, etc.), I feel it vital to support as many members of our local writing communities as possible. Small or local bookstores, libraries and cafes are often great places to meet local writers and authors via book readings or writing groups (professional, Meetup. etc.). Grab a cuppa and have a listen.

Show Your Local Library Some Love

Another wonderful way to support authors (both local and worldwide) is through your public library. I find them an amazing source of discovery and entertainment. This week I discovered a new Asian author, Gail Tsukiyama; I took home two of her books: The Language of Threads and The Street of a Thousand Blossoms. Libraries offer a wide variety of books from local authors to best-selling authors and everyone in between. And it’s a great place to review a book before going to the bookstore to make a purchase.

Post Script:

(Yes, large companies like Amazon provide jobs and help boost the U.S. economy (GDP); they may be, in some places, the only option for employment. That’s not the focus of this post and I continue to support buying locally so we can boost our local economies, which in turn will have a positive effect on the national GDP.)

#writersoffiction #supportyourlocalauthors #placergoldwriters #writersdigest #meetupgroups #poetry #buylocal

Live Small, Live Well

Posted on June 10, 2020 by mestengobooks

old Italian windows_Milan

After watching a PBS Frontline report on coronavirus in Italy , I had an idea about people living smaller lives, and not just during a pandemic. What if we chose to live this way on a daily basis? Ideas led to writing and writing led me to creating this post – even though it’s not really about writing… but ends up that way, I guess.

In other words, when something moves you, write about it.

Small and Close Is a Good Thing…Usually

Smaller living spaces bring people closer together. There’s plenty of room for everything you need using smarter design, smarter placements, living with less stuff. Simpler lives are happier lives. People are then able to focus on what really matters: relationships and community – look at Italians, they seem to have perfected it.

Europeans have lived this way for a long time out of necessity because there’s no room for the multitudes of sprawling American McMansions or penthouse-sized apartments in most European cities. Americans seem to think they need more open living space, so they purchase bigger homes and more material items, like furniture and art and expensive kitchen toys. But is it all really necessary in order to feel fulfilled? Or is it a nod to some internal need to “keep up with the Joneses?”

Or perhaps it’s the result of an overblown sense of entitlement; that what we want we deserve simply because we work for it or can afford it. That seems more like an individual-oriented mindset.

What’s Really Important

Watching the video, seeing the small spaces Italian families share, it’s no wonder they’re as close as they are. Normally, that’s a good thing but during a pandemic that kind of intimacy, sadly, has had a deleterious effect on their lives. But I doubt they’ll change their ways because those very connections are the lifeline of Italian life.

Smaller apartment homes force people to share the whole living space, including common and private areas (in Europe, brothers and sisters routinely share bedrooms). This type of living also provides lessons in conflict resolution since we’re not going to get along well all of the time. This is a community-oriented approach.

Smaller is Better for Everyone

Tiny houses are all the rage here in America but what we need is to reduce overall apartment living space (square footage) to make room for more people in each building. With burgeoning populations across the globe, it makes sense for us to adopt more of a European style of living. We’ve been spoon fed the ideal that the “American Dream” is to own a single family home, which requires more land space and finite natural resources (and equates to a much larger individual environmental footprint). For some reason, in America, living with others in apartment or multi-family (aka tenement) housing is perceived as inferior to owning your own home (which actually owns you for 20-30 years until the deed is in your hands). The benefits of community living can far outweigh life in the suburbs.

European style refrigerators, for example, which are much smaller than their American counterparts, force people to think about what to eat, how much, and how often. Shopping becomes a daily responsibility or at least every 2-3 days, depending on how many one is shopping for and feeding. Smaller fridges force people to choose foods that are most important: what is fresh and made daily, rather than something with a 6-month or more shelf life; that’s hoarding for a future that may or may not come. This pandemic has certainly reminded us of that.

Living smaller means living well today, within our community. Tomorrow will come when it comes.

Picture Perfect Opportunities

Posted on November 10, 2019 by mestengobooks

Source: Google Images/hiveminer.com; photo from Norfolk County, MA

Autumn is finally upon us here in NorCal. The sweet smell of decaying leaves is everywhere, as are the crisper days and cooler nights. Only thing missing is the flat gray cloud cover back home that I aptly call a “November sky,” as it is a regular weather pattern seen in a mid-season New England autumn. I find myself pining for that back lit cloud cover; for any clouds at all. California has nice weather – perhaps too nice, as in too much sun and not enough clouds. Growing up in New England, I learned to appreciate the overcast autumn days as a signal to spend more time indoors with a cup of hot cider or chocolate, hard at work at whatever hobby/task needed attending. Like spending more time writing and editing. Sunshine beckons me outside, leaving my writing and other hobbies for the all-too-rare-in-NorCal cloudy days.

Speaking of Spending Time Inside…

It’s NaNoWriMo time! How many of you are partaking this year? It’s the perfect opportunity to “get your write on”. Sadly, I’m working a new gig that keeps me out late every evening so I’m not working on anything other than an occasional blog post… deep sigh… I think if that overcast sky would show up, I’d find a way to hunker down and write. Or edit. Or both… sigh…

Test yourself; see how much you can complete before Dec. 1 gets here. Maybe I’ll make a half-hearted attempt if some cloudy weather shows up!

A New Marketing Angle That May Be Picture-Perfect

I purposely don’t spend much time online. Life is short and I’d rather be experiencing something like nature instead of staring at a computer for hours on end. But this was an interesting article I came across from a book marketing site I used to follow.

There’s an online business called Cameo Marketplace – perhaps you’ve heard of it? I haven’t so I’m sharing it with you. Ever dream of some famous person talking up your book? Do you fantasize that you’ll sell a gazillion copies on the word of that famous person? Well, here’s your chance – kind of.

Cameo Marketplace (cameo.com) offers a personalized shout-out from your choice of their famous clientele in a ‘cameo’ video. Yep. For a fee, you can have, say, Charlize Theron plug your book. (I don’t know if she’s actually a client.) Or Tom Hanks. (Not sure if he is, either.) Point is, you can find a well-known (or quasi-famous) personality, one that fits your book’s style and image, to say something positive about it in a short video. The actor earns money and you get more sales, so you earn money. Sounds like a win-win situation, right?

Unless you pick someone who won’t exactly influence the right people – your target audience. You need to know who they are before choosing your celebrity. Prices range from $5 to about $150 for a personalized video and promotional videos cost more. Probably not a good idea to invest in the prettiest face. Make sure the actor you do choose can have a positive effect on your book marketing and sales; otherwise, it’s wasted money.

So there it is, my advice for the week. It’s not much but who knows, it may help you find the perfect face to sell your book.

Post Script: I only just realized that I didn’t title this post and put too much space above the pic… oops. And wouldn’t you know, that November sky I referenced is here today, on my day off! Yippee!

Serendipity

Posted on September 14, 2019 by mestengobooks

Source: Google Images

Serendipity, defined as fate, destiny, luck, kismet, fortune, coincidence or karma – if you believe in that sort of thing, presented me with an interesting (and not coincidental?) meet this morning.

But first, let me back up.

Last night, the little red battery on my Jeep’s instrument panel popped up while driving home, around 10:30pm. Once parked, I perused the 500+-page manual (a huge pdf on my phone) to find out why. Seems it was telling me there was an issue with low power. Okay… I was taking the car to the garage this morning anyway for an oil change and figured I’d have them check it out.

battery light

The car started no problem this morning and the little red battery didn’t come on. Okay, I thought, maybe it was just a fluke or an electrical fart, used cars can have these issues. About ten minutes later, there it was, taunting me, daring me to continue driving. I arrived at the parking garage of the local Co-op where I have breakfast when I realized I hadn’t had my lights on while on the highway (it was around 7am and still a bit dark). I turned them on just to make sure there wasn’t an issue and BOOM – dashboard lights went crazy and the car died in the parking spot. At 7:15am. When I tried turning the key, all I heard was a ‘click’ sound – oh, joy; that likely meant the alternator was the culprit and had eaten up the battery power (which would explain the little red battery on the instrument panel).

I called my insurance company and requested a tow – a 45-minute wait. I was surprisingly calm, considering the situation. I decided to forego breakfast and instead gathered a few things from the car that I would need while it was getting fixed at my regular garage, luckily not far from where I was stranded. The tow truck showed up almost exactly 45 minutes later, a jovial fellow at the wheel. The sticky problem was that he couldn’t get his flatbed tow truck into the parking garage, so he had to push my car with me behind the wheel steering, out to the road. (Poor guy; awfully early for that kind of physical demand but he managed wonderfully.)

Fast forward:

I knew there was a Starbucks up the street from my garage so I made for it with the intent of getting an overpriced breakfast and latte. Being a Saturday morning downtown, it’s usually slow (it’s more of a Mon-Fri business district) but hordes of women were piling in and the line came close to running out the door. While waiting for my order, a woman standing nearby struck up a chat with me. Turns out they’re here for a health and wellness convention and she’s a certified nutrition counselor. Hmmm…..

Needless to say, we got to chatting and I told her about my nutrition book, that I’d published three books, taught nutrition classes, etc. She told me that she’s writing a nutrition book (outline complete and chapter 1 in the works) and speaks about her personal experience (she’s lost over 200 pounds) at universities and other small venues. When she explained she was considering self-publishing, I launched into a short explanation of the self-publishing process and offered more information if she had any questions down the road.

We ended up talking for about half an hour and exchanged emails with a promise from her that she’d contact me. I offered proofreading and editing services and also offered to provide her with more in-depth information about self-publishing and traditional publishing based on my twelve years of delving into it. She also gave me the title of book she highly recommends I read, The Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris. I recognized the title but forgot that I’d perused this book when it came out and found it to not be a good fit for me. It’s a good book and I recommend it if you haven’t read it; it just wasn’t for me. Maybe something about his writing style, but I found his information useful only if you have a strong financial foundation (meaning you’ve got a good amount of money in the bank to invest or available credit cards with high limits, and I have neither at the moment) and a strong support base (which is important for success in any venture).

Serendipity, For Sure

Anyway, I felt it was a serendipitous meeting for both of us, as it lit a lightly dampened fire within me in regards to marketing my nutrition book and finishing some projects and, it motivated her more to complete her nutrition book. Her light and enthusiasm were genuine and contagious and I hope to make contact with her again. Who knows what the outcome can be, but I’m sure it can only be good. People like her are destined for success and I would consider myself fortunate to be able to go along for at least part of the ride.

Has karma surprised you lately? Have you had an unexpected but positive meeting or conversation with another like-minded writer/artist? Like attracts like, after all; perhaps some folks are just meant to connect.

May you have serendipitous moments in the near future to help move you along your writing path.

Breaking News: You Don’t Need Permission to WRITE/PAINT/DANCE/LIVE CREATIVELY

Posted on July 12, 2019 by mestengobooks

Source: Google Images/Art Inspirations by Debra at passthefeather.org

Big Magic

I recently finished (with much sadness, it was such a wonderful read) Elizabeth Gilbert’s book, Big Magic (she wrote the delightful book Eat, Pray, Love). Basically it’s about the magic of inspiration, the freedom to create without another’s permission, and the magic of living a creative life. I devoured each chapter, dog-earing so many pages it looks more like an accordion than a book!

Somewhere along the way, like she writes in the book, I got it all wrong. I believed, wholeheartedly, that I needed the RIGHT desk/workspace/ideas/inspiration/subject, etc. to go ahead and begin creating. That I needed someone to tell me that what I was doing – actually, creating – was okay. I needed permission to create.

Turns out I’ve been creating all my life. I still have sketches from grade and high school (but I stupidly got rid of my oil and acrylic paintings because I thought they weren’t good enough to show anyone) and a few poems I wrote. I re-discovered them while cleaning out a box during one of my many moves to another new place a few years back. (And I still keep them tucked away, out of sight, for some unknown reason.)

sigh…

Don’t Be Afraid

Then I reached the “You’re Afraid” chapter and found many of the same excuses I’ve used over the years to not create. Let’s see if you find yourself in any of these (there were many more but I think you’ll get the gist):

You’re afraid you’ll be rejected or criticized or ridiculed or misunderstood or – worst of all – ignored.
You’re afraid there’s no market for your creativity, and therefore no point in pursuing it.
You’re afraid somebody else already did it better.
You’re afraid everybody else already did it better. (You know, you’re not original enough…)
You’re afraid you don’t have the right kind of discipline.
You’re afraid you don’t have the ‘right’ [quotes added] kind of work space, or financial freedom or empty hours in which to focus on invention or exploration. (This was and has always been one of my lamest excuses for not creating something. That I was always so sensitive to my artistic environment; that the ‘wrong’ time or place or direction I faced with my desk would surely ruin any chances of creating something GREAT that would be enjoyed by ALL; that without all of the ‘right’ things necessary to SUCCEED I would, after all, definitely FAIL.)
You’re afraid you neglected your creativity for so long that now you can never get it back. (It must be my fault – since I couldn’t get the setting ‘just right’ and now I’m doomed to never create again. Hurrumph.)
You’re afraid of being a one-hit wonder.
You’re afraid of being a no-hit wonder.

And so on….

You Don’t Need Permission, After All

But here’s the BEST part, the REVELATION that so many of us (especially me) need to hear (more than once,obviously):

“You do not need anybody’s permission to live a creative life. Maybe your parents were rule-followers or too busy being melancholic depressives, or addicts, or abusers to ever use their imaginations toward creativity. Maybe they weren’t makers…maybe just pure consumers. Maybe you grew up in an environment where people just sat around watching TV and waiting for stuff to happen to them.”

This was my childhood: mom and dad plunked in front of the TV at the end of exhausting days of housework [mom] and construction [dad], smoking cigarettes and barely speaking to each other (or us) while watching variety shows or sitcoms. Art was what hung on someone else’s walls (our living room was decorated with my parents bowling trophies, including the back end of a donkey for my dad’s team coming in last place); I certainly wasn’t encouraged to follow that road. Go to college. Get a job. Those were my parents’ mantras all through school. How on earth could I escape that fate? I’m still struggling to make room for creativity, to give myself PERMISSION to create WHATEVER I want to create, regardless of what you or whoever thinks about it. My sister was even more talented than me and she, too, was forced to become a square peg in a round hole, to abandon all artistic dreams for a future where putting bread on the table was the most important (and only) thing one could do with one’s life. It was the sensible thing to do, after all, right? (sneer)

“You want to write a book? Make a song? Learn a dance? Draw a penis on your wall? Do it. Who cares? Let inspiration lead you wherever it wants to lead you.”

In other words, stop worrying what others will think; you don’t need their permission or approval; just create, damn it! And damn anyone who believes differently! Because, in the end, it’s all just creativity. So it really doesn’t matter all that much. Get it?

Good.

Entitlement (the right kind)

That said, you need to understand the concept of entitlement – not the narcissistic American ‘I-deserve-everything-I-want‘ kind of entitlement but the kind of entitlement that lets you live freely with your creativity intact:

“… in order to live this way – free to create, free to explore – you must possess a fierce sense of personal entitlement… Creative entitlement simply means believing that you are allowed to be here and that – merely by being here – you are allowed to have a voice and a vision of your own.”

A Final Word

These are two of my favorites from the book – because they’re true, no matter what anyone says:

“Pure creativity is magnificent expressly because it is the opposite of everything else in life that’s essential or inescapable (food, shelter, medicine, rule of law, social order, familial responsibility, death, taxes, etc.). Pure creativity is something better than a necessity; it’s a gift. It’s the frosting… a wild and unexpected bonus from the universe.”

This is a woman deeply in love with her creativity. This is a woman who knows she is FREE to create without boundaries, permissions, critiques, etc. This is the kind of person I aspire to become and after reading her book, I know I am several steps closer to the clarity that I am FREE TO CREATE simply because I MUST CREATE. Because it’s who I AM.

“You can live a long life, making and doing really cool things the entire time. You might earn a living with your pursuits or you might not, but you can recognize that this is not really the point. And at the end of your days, you can thank creativity for having blessed you with a charmed, interesting, passionate existence.”

Amen, sister.

So get out there, folks, and create SOMETHING.

I dare you.