I Write Again

Hi everyone! I have a few things to touch base on as I write this blog post this fine hot evening. I haven't looked at my blog in quite a while and today I sign in and to my surprise I see 118 followers. I smiled. Thank you all for following my blog and my random rants about life. The last time I signed into my blog there were only 85. Only 32 more followers until the 150 Followers Contest is over.

Next, I often wonder what other writers write about and what other photographers photograph. I see their writings and I see their photographs, but I only see what they as artists want me to see. I want to know whats behind the "finished piece of art". You know, the messy part, before it's all cleaned and polished. As an artist I know there is a storm before the calm - I deal with it on a daily basis. My photographs are a disaster sometimes, but after pushing through the mess I find the treasure that my clients hired me to capture. The same goes with my writing. There is a hurricane on my word processor until all of the the subheadings, titles, keywords, and organization are completed.

And next... Well, I must've lost my train of thought there. Well, Happy Labor Day!!! Be safe out there!

I Was a Baby Once too...

The other day I was at my moms house and we were looking through old pictures of when I was a kid. I came across one of me when I was only 26 days old. I couldn't believe it. It was an old polaroid of my dad and I on April 5, 1979. I had my mom scan it for me so I'd have a copy of it. Wanna see?

I found tons more that we're going to scan and I'm going to make a scrapbook from my early years to now. I don't have a lot of photographs of my family and since my dad passed in 2004, I've been hunting for photographs of him and I together. I only have one other one of he and I when I was 17 years old and rebellious. So as you can guess in that photo there's me with a pissed off look on my face and cigarette in one hand as I pose in the picture with him. I framed that picture, but I hope to find a better one.

I miss my dad. His birthday is in 13 days - he'd be 81 this year.

Well today is a busy one. My trip to D.C. seemed to have made me overspend a bit more than I'd planned, so I've piled on the work to make up for it. So my day is filled with writing and researching - at least until 4pm or 5pm today.

All photographs are copyrighted and can not be copied or used elsewhere.

Friday -

Well after a long two weeks with family being in town and the long drive to and from D.C. to drop them off at the airport, I'm finally back to work and getting back to a regular routine or at least as regular as it can get for me. My business seems to need a bit of help. At least in the advertising department. I'm no marketer even though I should be since I have to solely rely on myself to market myself.

The last big project I had was during the time family was here and as I was working on the project, the client decides he's going to email me saying he can only pay directly to my bank and needs my bank account numbers even though he previously said he paid via PayPal. I refused to give out my information and for good reason I'm sure you all will agree. He canceled the project without letting me know so now I'm out a large amount of $$$$ and unpaid for any work I have already completed.

This type of crap is why I hate my job sometimes. Finding legit clients seems to nearly impossible at times, but I guess its just part of the job. I never remember things like that happening years ago when I started my freelance business. Now that I've started once again, it seems like there are nothing but scammers out there just waiting for their next victim. The good news out of all of this with the last client is I never sent him any of the work I completed. Once he said he wanted my information and could not pay me in the form we had agreed upon a week before, I refused to send him any work.

Earlier this morning as I was cruising the bidding site, I saw his ad up on it again wanting bidders to bid on the very same project I had won two weeks ago. I feel like I should warn other bidders, but still feel as if I should just stay out of it.

Well, I guess I'd better get back to work so I can make some $$$ cause I damn sure not getting paid to blog.

Hope everyone has a great Memorial Day weekend. Be safe!

I AM WOMAN, I CAN DO ANYTHING!!!

Today seems like its going to be a busy, busy day for me. I have so much to do that I've been putting off for the last few days. Mainly I've avoided a lot of things just because I don't feel good. I don't feel like myself, but today is a bit different. Not sure why. But I'm not complaining, I need to feel like I do today so I can get things done. So far I've started on organizing my work files (a much needed thing to do). I also have cleaned up the garage a bit, and taken a few things down stairs that have been sitting in my hallway since the remodel of the guest room. Now to finish laundry, vacuum floors, meet a deadline (still 2 days away), work on my WIP, and dust the entire house so when my Hunny gets back from out of town he can dust it all up again with the sanding of the center room. The only room we have left to finish.

Next week is going to be busy, busy, busy as well. We have family coming in from overseas to spend a few weeks with us and I'll be trying to get everything organized between family home life and work life. Organizing deadlines, articles, and having to put my novel on hold for a few weeks is going to be tough, but I figure I can do it (one way or another). And hey, I have the "I AM WOMAN, I CAN DO ANYTHING!" on my side.

Well, I guess I'd better get started. Today is Thursday and there is soooooo much to get done in such a short time.

In a Rush!

Let's not forget about the contest!

Today is a day of "catch-up". I usually use Sundays as my catch-up days, where I'll set up projects, finish some projects, and edit some of my stock photography. But tomorrow is going to be a day where I must no matter how I feel finish the guest room - no matter what. I'm so far behind on my script (only 12 pages) with 6 days to go to reach 100, that I know I won't make it. Unless of course a brilliant idea pops into my head and I run with it. Since my pain started, I haven't gotten a whole lot done. 

The remodel has been on hold on my end since April 14th and anything that had to deal with concentrating, well, that just didn't get done. Today the pain is a little better and doesn't hurt too bad to key up this blog post. I started thinking about my blog after my last updated post. I thought about how this blog was started so that I could vent about writing and the writing world. I know lately it has turned into more of a personal blog, but when you don't have a whole lot of close friends and family, a blog about personal things  seen by millions (well maybe not millions...yet) of stranger's eyes is sometimes the next best thing. Sometimes I just feel so isolated from the rest of the world. Especially since all my closest friends live in Watertown, Evansmills, or Rochester, New York, and Portland, Oregon. Sadly, none of them read my blog except one. She knows who she is. Hi Lisa. And since I don't use my real name on my blog, anyone who Google's me looking for my blog won't find it. Noelle Nolan is my pen name and my online presence. She's my alter ego. With her, all things are possible. (I know that just sounded like I should be in a mental hospital) :) 

I guess this is why I submerse myself into doing a ton of things at once. I started a freelance writing business, a stock photography business, script writing, novel writing, remodeling every room in our house, and the list goes on and on. I'm so set in a routine that when outsiders invade my personal space or change up my routine, I get aggravated. I guess anyone would if they're so used to the same thing day in and day out. I go into the city every weekend, although before I started having a ton of pain that prevented me from driving I was going into the city during the week. I guess you really can't call Roanoke a city, at least not compared to the other cities I've lived in. But it works for what it is.

I don't have any children at least not human children to keep me on my toes. I have 2 cats and a dog. They have routine too. Yoda, my dog gets up around 8:30am every morning, goes outside to do his business, comes back in to eat, then sleeps in front of the couch or in my office until 11am, then repeats the process until bedtime. Buddy, my oldest cat wakes me up at 8:22am every morning. For what purpose I'm not sure. I think it's just to get me out of the bed so he can take it over. Because once I'm up, he's lays back down and sleeps until about 2pm. Cooper, my youngest little guy has his own little routine. He's an outside cat that lives in and out of the garage. He's usually in his bed when my boyfriend leaves for work in the mornings and then out hunting for birds or anything else he can catch throughout the day. He usually comes back home around 6 or 7 in the evening. So, we're all in a routine. I need to break my routine, but its a hard thing to do. (any suggestions?)

Yeah, I do believe this is a ramblings post. Sorry for not having any useful information in it. I guess its just my way of venting how I feel. But isn't that what a personal blog is. A place to put your thoughts and issues without having to deal with family and close friends invading and criticizing you? 

Moving Along...

I hope everyone is having a great Monday morning! So far so good on my end although I'm still exhausted from the events from the weekend. Saturday we (my boyfriend, his father, mother, sister, and myself) knocked down the wall dividing our (used to be) dining room and our living room. Our house was built in 1973 and back then apparently every room was separated and had a door on it. Our house is just like that. Our living room was small and cramped - not anymore. We decided to make our sun room into the dining room - it works great as that and Saturday we had our first lunch party. The picture above is the first hole and "We have light!". It was so great to see light coming through into this room. I just can't wait until its completed and we can enjoy it. Right now it is completed other than the tape and floating of the drywall and the paint of course.

Yesterday afternoon I was cruising the job boards for freelance writers and noticed such disappointing and down right insulting ads. Some clients are only willing to pay anywhere from $.50 to $1.50 for 500 - 1,000 words. I remember a time when you were paid by the word even if it was only a penny for each word. This is ridiculous! Why are people so cheap. I hire writers and due to my budget can only pay them a penny a word, but I would never ask someone to write on a per article base of such a low rate. My writers write from a template where all the information is given to them and all they have to do is put it into words. No researching for various material needed. I'm hoping to find much larger projects with a much larger budget so that my two writers and I can bring in a much larger income. 

Ah, the good old days when clients were willing to pay what a writer was worth at least come close to it. I hope those days haven't vanished. If they have, I may have to change my line of work. I enjoy being a freelance writer. I love working from home and having time to do what I want to do while still being able to complete my work. It has been a bit tough in the last few weeks due to the renovations, but that will be done by next weekend and my office can be placed where I can get some work done and I will be able to take on much more work than I currently can. 

I came across this posting Liquid Silver - Geeks Need Love To and thought maybe I'd post it here and I myself may attempt this. Considering one of my MS in my novel is a geek per say.The deadline is in June, so it doesn't leave much time to finish it. I do not know anything about this company, so before you submit (if you choose to) please do some research on the company to find out if they are legit or not. 

This is going to be such a busy, busy, busy week. I'm in the process of selling my truck so that I can buy a 4-cylinder car (2002 VW Jetta). We have to complete the renovations on the house and I have quite a few projects due before the end of the week as well as searching out for new clients so the income will begin to flow. Then there's my novel which I'm not so sure I should write in first person present tense. I think I may change it to first person past tense and the book I'm wanting to finish reading, "New Moon" by Stephenie Meyer. I want to finish it before I watch the movie.

Projects await, so I'm off. 

Spring Cleaning!!!! House Remodeling!!!

I know this is a bit off the subject of writing, but in a way it isn't. By doing what is written here, I will get more writing done (fingers crossed). 

Last night as  I stood in my kitchen waiting for my Bar-B-Q chicken to finish cooking I was staring at our half done remodel of our sun room and dining room. Then I decided to take the rest of the week off and fix it. Our sun room has been like this for quite some time (11 months). It's almost embarrassing to say that, but it's true. I can't believe its been almost a year of no window frames, putty, plain drywall, and a concrete floor. The dining room was covered in plastic on the back wall there (that's where the fireplace used to be). The hole was filled in a few weeks ago only to be reopened in the next few weeks to put in the stair case for the new set of stairs to the basement (see the little door to the left there with the cat door in it. That will be moved to the hole in the floor in the dining room). And all the god awful wood paneling will be gone. I'm so excited. I hate wood paneling. 

Sun Room (Before)

Dining Room (Before)

Anyhow, me standing in the kitchen last night led to me deciding today to go to Lowe's or Home Depot and pick up some primer for the sun room. I plan on finishing the sanding and priming the wall to get it ready for some beautiful paint. Since my man is out of town, it will be a great surprise for when he returns. I know it's sad to think that this is how I'll be spending my Birthday week, but I consider this a gift to myself. It will get rid of some stress by doing this. Once it's done I'll post the AFTER pictures.

It is almost spring and cleaning is in the air! This weekend I cleaned my computer, updated all of my accounting files, and organized my freelance writing projects as well as picked up a few others. I've decided starting today I am taking this entire week off of work other than just a few projects that have to be completed and work on the house. 

The Writer's Survey!!!

Writer Survey

I discovered this interesting little survey on Hannah's Blog. I figured I'd give it a try.

1. What’s the last thing you wrote? What’s the first thing you wrote that you still have?


 The last thing I wrote was a part of the setting on my new WIP. The first thing I ever wrote and still have is a short story that I hope to one day turn into a novel. (wishful thinking)

2. Poetry? 


A long, long, long time ago when I was a little kid.

3. Angsty poetry?

Not in forever.

4. Favorite genre of writing?

Mystery and my new found friend - YA

5. Most annoying character you’ve ever created?

The character in one of my half written novels. She annoys me so bad cause she's such a pushover. One of these days I'll rewrite her.

6. Best plot you’ve ever created?

I think the best plot I've ever created is the one I'm working on now. Slowly but surly it's building its way through the book.

7. Coolest plot twist you’ve ever created?

Well, I think I might have a good twist on my WIP, but the twist in my short story was pretty good. The magazine editor that was to publish it before it went under said it was an "edge of the seat page turner".

8. How often do you get writer’s block? 

All the time. Not a day goes by that I don't suffer from writer's block, but I have managed to push through it. At least with my novel. My freelancing... now that's another ball game all together.

9. Write fan fiction?

No.

10. Do you type or write by hand?

I used to type out everything. Now I find that is a pain in the ass. Computer files are messy. There's really truly no order to them, so now I create everything on paper in a special journal. I have journal that is solely dedicated to my novel where I create my characters, the plot, setting, and anything else that could and would go into my story.

11. Do you save everything you write? 

I save everything. I lost much of my writing a few years ago when I moved.

12. Do you ever go back to an idea after you abandon it? it

Yes, I save everything.

13. What’s your favorite thing you’ve ever written?

Probably the story I'm working on now.

14. What’s everyone else’s favorite story you’ve ever written? 

The short story I wrote.

15. Ever written romance or angsty teen drama?

Working on one.

16. What’s your favorite setting for your characters?

A small town.

17. How many writing projects are you working on right now?

My novel and my freelancing projects.

18. Have you ever won an award for your writing? 

Not yet.

19. What are your five favorite words?

Not Sure I Have Favorites.

20. What character have you created that is most like yourself? 

Alexandra is most like me. I kind of based her personality on mine.

21. Where do you get your ideas for your characters?

I think of my novels as a movie and  figure out what type of character needs to play that part.

22. Do you ever write based on your dreams? 

Yes sometimes. I'll dream something and figure that could maybe work in my story.

23. Do you favor happy endings?

Happy endings are usually a given. I try to have a happy ending in all my stories although sometimes no matter how hard I try, some just aren't meant to have a happy ending.

24. Are you concerned with spelling and grammar as you write?

Yes, always when I'm typing. If I'm writing in freehand then spelling and grammar doesn't matter.

25. Does music help you write?

Music and Television both. I usually work on my novel in front of the television. Commercials and shows give me inspiration with some of my characters sometimes. I listen to music usually when I'm freelancing.

26. Quote something you’ve written. Whatever pops in your head. 

"Jealousy is the best compliment you'll ever receive." 

Now it's your turn... I can't wait to see what your answers are.

Being Productive

One of the most important things in any freelance business whether it is writing or photography is that you have to be productive. If you’re not productive then you’re probably not making any money. And isn’t making money what we all want to do. Isn’t that the reason we opened up our own freelancing business to make the moola.

I find that if I’m unorganized I can’t be productive, no matter how hard I try or how important a project is. If my office is a wreck (like it is now) I just can’t focus on anything but the mess (and then I blog about it). I have a few projects in the works that I’d really like to work on today, but I think that the office organization should probably be bumped ahead of them just for today so that I can focus on my work and give my clients what they’re paying for.

My desk sits facing a double window with the door to my back. That always makes me uneasy so today the desk will be moved so that it sits facing the door or at least angled toward the door. My shelving unit is a wreck thanks to my boyfriends massive amount of car magazines that he reads once and tosses aside, but still wants to keep just in case there is something he needs to know, (like he’d ever be able to find what he’s looking for). He’d have to go through hundreds of them before he finds what he’s looking for.

How do you keep productive?

10 Things That Make Me Smile

The 10 things that make me smile:

1.  The cute emails I get from my good friends.
2.  When my fingers flow along the keyboard with perfect grace and the words that come out on the other side are magnificent. 
3. When I discover a great blog of a fellow writer who goes through the same things I do whether good or bad.
4. A great cup of coffee.
5. When a new recipe I create turns out great and everyone raves about it.
6. When I get a great idea for a new book or article. 
7. When Buddy (my cat) sits on the arm of the couch with those big yellow eyes staring at me as he "Meows" trying to pull my attention away from the computer. 
8. When I get a funny text message or picture message.
9. When my office is completely organized - Very rare sight these days though.
10. When my paycheck shows up in my bank account twice a week. That would make anyone smile.

What makes you smile?

The Crossroads

(A Quick Post) – I haven’t been keeping up well with my blog. Mostly due to working on my novel. I want to have at least half of it completed by December 24, 2010 if not all of it in first draft.

I’m at a crossroads with my current WIP. I am so stuck. I have started working on my other novel, which is flowing pretty well, (knock on wood). I wonder if I should scrap it (not toss it in the recycling bin) but put it away. It seems to have no more potential as a novel, more like a short story. The one I’ve been working on all day, outlining, writing, and all of the above it has lots of potential. Tons of possibilities. I’m excited about it, but not real ecstatic if that makes sense. I get my ecstatic moments especially when a scene peeks its head out and say "Aha! That's how its going to be!" And it works. I reread what I wrote today and wow! (in a good way). Although it needs a bit of editing, but so far so good.

My new WIP (actually a story I started a few years ago) has the two main characters worked out to the fullest (almost); unlike my other novel where the main character is struggling to find herself and place in the story. I feel that TRUTH is a lost cause – at least for now. Anyhow, my new WIP is well on its way. It’s organized and so many possibilities. The main plot is plotted, the main characters are characterized, and it’s a beautiful supernatural mystery. I can’t wait to get to the good part of it.

What do you do when your WIP comes to a stand still?

Q & A with my MC in a Dream

Last night I had a dream. I'm posting as much as I can remember from the chat with my Main Character. It was morning and I was sitting down with Christine Winslett, the MC of my current WIP to discuss her character in my novel.

Christine sat on the beige loveseat across from me in the living room of my home, her burgundy hair shined in the sunlight that shone though the big bay window behind her almost blinding me. This was more of an interview than just a casual chat. She sipped coffee from one of my favorite coffee mugs, leaving burgundy lipstick marks around the rim. Her electric blue eyes lined with a jet black liner seem to be hiding something. Something she seemed to want to share with the world, but all at the same time, she was terrified to open up.

Point of View (POV)

(Quick Post)

I'm torn between what POV to use in my novel. Before I get too far into it, I really want to figure out whether I should use First Person POV or Third Person POV. I find it's so much easier to write this particular story in first person, but is that really what the market is wanting? I have this ongoing fear that I will complete my novel, get it perfect, all written in first person and not be able to find anyone to publish it. All that time spent and all that time wasted in making my masterpiece.

Ideas… From Who, What, When, How, & Where?

Writers are known for their creativity, their wild imaginations, and the ability to put thoughts into well rounded words onto paper for those who lack that ability to read and enjoy… (and sometimes envy). But the question is, where does this special breed of human get their ideas from. What deep well do they dig those creative characters out of and what cave do they enter to find that wild imagination? Many writers get their ideas from the world around them. Article writers for Parenting magazines watch their own children or other people's children and the ideas of articles begin to flow. The same also applies for writers of sports, animals, and even car enthusiasts. The ideas for their stories and articles all thrived from somewhere within planet Earth.

Publishing your eBook

The first thing you may want to do once you have completed the process of your eBook is PUBLISH IT with your name as the Author. As of right now, you have every comma where it should be, every subheading focused on the paragraph below it, the flow is easy to read and understand, and of course you have the PERFECT TITLE. You know the one, the one that catches the eye of the seeker. Yes, that one! Once that is complete, you want to publish it; but where? Where or who would publish your eBook without charging you an arm and a leg? Good question. You eBook is an investment, so be careful and research publishers before signing or paying for anything.

• Lulu.com – Lulu is known as a self-publishing website and they also publish eBooks. Their fees vary. Check it out as well as others before jumping in.
  
• Amazon.com – Amazon has a "Kindle's Publishing Program" available for you to publish your books. Amazon Kindle is a platform that was developed by Amazon.com in order to read eBooks and other various digital media. More about Kindle.
  
• Ebookdevelopersassociation.org – This is a resource center for eBooks. I am not sure if it cost money or not to get the information, but it's worth a look.
  

Publishing is a big deal, not only to your audience, but to you. If you spend money getting your eBook published, you do not want to be ripped off. So before you jump in with any publisher whether it's for an eBook or a hardcopy, do your research thoroughly. Read reviews, give your own interview to the publisher, press releases, anything you can dig up on them to verify they are legit and not just out there to take your money and leave you in the dark. And of course, follow your gut instinct. If you have a bad feeling about them, move on to another. I wish you all best of luck in your publishing ventures. 


If anyone has any other eBook publishers to add, please leave a message in the comment box and I will add them to the list. 

3 Reasons to Write an eBook

Most everyone who loves books dreams to one day write the All-American Novel, but to most of us, it is just a dream. There is an upside to all of this however. Instead of the All-American Novel in print form, why not join the new millennium and write the All-American eBook. Yes, I said eBook. Sure, the most common reasons are the obvious. You want to be a writer and publishing an eBook with your name on it is a great start to be noticed as an up and coming writer. Second, you want to make some money for your writing. The list below includes three brief reasons of why you should write an eBook.

• Express Your Expertise: Writing an eBook can give you the upper hand when it comes to an expertise in a subject. If you are well experienced in Cat Care, then an eBook on Cat Care is right up your alley. Publishing and eBook can be a great and quick way to be recognized as a professional writer although these books are electronic and easy cash in on project, you have to be careful. Making sure your information provided is accurate. Giving people advice that is inaccurate could take you from newly published, "my name is in print (electronically) and I'm the new bestseller on the eBook shelf!" to a writer who no one trusts and you may never be published again.
  
• Lend a Helping Hand: Knowledge is out in the world and trapped in our thick skulls to help people, even ourselves. Everyone needs help now and again whether it is help reorganizing their home office or needing help putting up their own blog online. Why not share the wealth of knowledge you have about a particular subject that many may need help with. You would not just be helping someone else; if you eBook is a success, you will also be helping your bank account.
  
• The Money Stream: Publishing an eBook can (if it sells successfully and continually), could mean a constant stream of income. The more reader specific your eBook is, the higher your sells could be. Do your research before you begin your journey on the road to eBook stardom. You may find that what you think may be what readers want is something they by pass and look elsewhere for what they need. Ask your friends, family, post questions on forums, and your blog asking people to express what they want or need to learn about. By doing this you can cater to your much-needed audience as well as to your bank account.
  

If you have what it takes to write about what you know and can make it interesting as well as helpful, then jump in with both feet. If you don't have that experience yet in your life, do your research and build up to it.

Punxsutawney Phil Saw His Shadow

Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow which as we all know, six more LONG weeks of winter. I'm not a winter type person. After living in New York for 4 years, that pretty much cured me of all snow and as I look outside here, the ground is covered in snow and they are calling for another winter storm this coming weekend. I can't wait for summer to arrive. 


Today is Organization Day and is one of my favorite days!!!

I love to organize, too bad my office isn't in the best organized state. Today is the day and I plan to get everything in order and easy to find. So no more searching through a pile of papers for the editors name and address like I faced yesterday morning.


For the rest of the day, once my office is in order, I plan to work solely on my articles and query letters.

UPDATE: New Burst of Energy

A bit earlier I got this brand new burst of excitement about my picky eater article. As I read through comment after comment on a post I posted on Absolute Write I found a new angle for the article and found some really great resources and information. Although further research is required and interviews to be conducted, I'm so excited about this article once again. As per my previous post where I despised this article because of the parenting magazine I found in the grocery store with a similar article. But no more fear, I'm over all of that. It was a moment of unprofessionalism and I'm sorry. Now that I'm composed once more, I'm ready to start on my query letter, interviews, and a bit more research and with my fingers crossed, it will be accepted.

Peeved at the Grocery Store

Yesterday my boyfriend and I ventured out into the snow to do our bi-weekly grocery shopping. While trailing up and down each aisle with my list in my hand, I decided to check out the magazine rack. And what do I see? No, not one of my article title on the front cover, but someone else's article title on the cover of Parent Magazine. My idea I wanted to submit to them was published in the February 2010 issue. 


Makes me so aggravated, but I guess I should've moved faster. I don't have any reason to be mad about it, but I guess it's just because I haven't really had any "real good" ideas in such a long time and I started working on this one, doing the research to make sure that if the editor of the magazine said yes, that I would be able to pull it off. But now it's time to push that idea to the side and move on to the next, Sibling Jealousy, which I'll probably see in the March 2010 issue of Parent Magazine. (Lord, I hope not!)

The Picky Eater Article

Today is just an average day of researching and finding more information about my current article for a parenting magazine. After researching for the last few hours on children who are picky eaters at the dinner table. At first I thought I could load my article with material trapped inside my massive mind, but as it happens, I can't do that. So, I decided to check out one of my favorite forums at AbsoluteWrite.com.



There are so many great people there to offer up awesome first hand experiences with their own children. I've used these forums before to find out information, get quotes from real people to help in completing my articles.

Now for the much dreaded query letter. Oh my, how am I ever going to get this thing in order. I must admit queries are my downfall. I can created the best article, ready to be printed in the magazine for all the world to see. But when it comes that terrifying letter that has to be sent to the editor of magazine, the words for the letter just aren't there.