BlogHer - memoir - Comments

Lively and informative

Candelaria Silva — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 19:49:01 -0500

I try to do at least one redraft of my blogs and many redrafts of my other writing. In both bloggins and writing there are times when you can get inspired and write a piece that is at its best just as it was delivered. However, other times the writing is best if reworked, polished, trimmed, etc. In all the writing I do, I am sharing ideas, images, characters, thoughts from my individual space that I think people will relate to on a universal scale.

Thanks.

http://blog.candelarisilva.com

Good and plenty!

I hope you'll weigh in

Kim Pearson — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 06:52:47 -0500

I'm sure that you and other Blogher community members will have a lot to contribute to an ongoing conversation. I think it's fair to say that it was a deeply-felt conversation. Helen is interested in our thoughts about some of the topics that we discussed and plans to read the comments, as well.

KimBlogHer Contributing Editor|Professor Kim|

Sad I missed it, but...

The Word Cellar — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 18:37:11 -0500

...so glad there's an archive. I'm so happy that the craft of writing is getting such interest and attention!

~Jenna/The Word Cellar
purveyor of fine writing and editing

www.thewordcellar.com/blog

We'll have lots of interesting things to talk about, I'm sure

Kim Pearson — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 17:44:43 -0500

Hi Virginia,

Thanks for your interest. I am excited about the directions this conversation can take. For example, Helen recently interviewed a professor whose book about the 2006 Danish cartoon controversy was censored by Yale University.

I'm wondering whether you or other BlogHer readers have particular topics you'd like Helen to address?

KimBlogHer Contributing Editor|Professor Kim|

This sounds exciting

Virginia DeBolt — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 07:46:38 -0500

Thank you for arranging it.

Virginia DeBolt
BlogHer CE
Web Teacher
First 50 Words

Amazing

Denise — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 06:42:16 -0500

At your age, I was working very hard to tell lies of the opposite type - that I had NOT made out with a girl, when I actually had.

We've come a long way, just between your life and mine. I look forward to hearing the "biggest lie" stories of the next generation. :-)

~Denise
BlogHer Community Manager

Flamingo House Happenings

Lia, mine always to the same

Birdie Jaworski — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 00:35:59 -0500

Every story I write is completely different from what I expect and even want it to be. But somehow, I am grateful for the way this happens, it is as if my heart has a mind of her own, has stories that must be told.

Big hugs to you!

Birdie
Birdie's BlogHer Blog
La Pajaro

Stever, if you visit...

Birdie Jaworski — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 00:34:34 -0500

Then I would write a story about you!!! I might do that anyway, about the old days in sunny So Cal. I'm so glad you're reading these at least, even if you're not writing. : )

Birdie
Birdie's BlogHer Blog
La Pajaro

I finally got myself compatible with the new BlogHer site!!!

Birdie Jaworski — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 00:33:05 -0500

My old config wasn't compatible, but now I am good to go... so sorry I am so late to respond, sweetie!!!

I LOVED that story, girl. (As I told ya in email, and will tell ya on my blog in a bit...) It made me cry, and made me want to continue writing these crazy lessons. : )

Birdie
Birdie's BlogHer Blog
La Pajaro

Will do...

Heresyman — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 12:46:20 -0500

Thanks Denise.

stever...

Denise — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 17:49:02 -0500

Can you email me at denise@blogher.org with some system info, please?

Mac or PC?
Browser and version?
Operating system?
Telephone connection or broadband?

Do you only get a blank screen after you reply? Do you get one if you click preview? Any other blank screen issues? You're person number 3 reporting this and we're trying to figure out what the problem is. Any info you can provide will help.

Thanks

~Denise
Fast Times @ Homeschool High & Flamingo House Happenings

Damn the bugs... "the only good bug is a DEAD bug!"

Heresyman — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 11:24:36 -0500

Question EVERYTHING!

Everytime I try to post a response to a specific post, I end up with a blank screen I can do nothing with... where are the Starship Troopers when you need them?

Anyway, in response to milifes last post:

I loved your story... and was intrigued by the italicized internal dialog. My story would be like that, but the italicized bit would far outweigh the regular bit. (When you live behind a wall... there is a lot more internal bickering.)

I thought the soulmate bit was not only good, but crucial to the story. I agree with renaming "The Girl" though... because I sometimes mixed her up with Birdie.

What struck me most about the story was the fact that Birdie doesn't have a soulmate... she has a SOULPOSSE! (An awesome accomplishment, that!)

Stever

OK, perhaps I take class to seriously

milife — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 07:45:01 -0500

Which might be why I would like to be a professional student. Anyway, after letting my post sit a few days, and after getting my inner critic to pipe down a bit, and after really trying to look at it from another perspective, here are the things I would change:

I wrote with some assumptions, the biggest being that I don't think anyone reads my blog who doesn't read Birdie. There may have been too much assumed background (e.g. dancing over a death might seem weird if you didn't know why.)

I'd give The Girl a better name, I think it hurt the flow.

While the soalmate part is true, it doesn't flow, I think I would remove that section.

I'd make it clearer what I was trying to do with "finding a way to tell her." I think it reads that I wanted to tell Birdie she's wonderful, which she is, and I did. But the initial intent was to write a great story so that she could see her teaching had an impact on my writing. In other words, if I write a great story, she will see that she is a great teacher. I don't think that was clear.

There's more, but it's the girl's nap time so I will leave it there.

Can't wait for the next lesson, Birdie!

The Wall...

Heresyman — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 23:34:29 -0500

Hmmmm... another brick! (Perhaps the reason I haven't actually published anything yet.)

I wrote a note to my twin sister once... confronting her with something, thinking the note would give her a chance to think about what I said, as well as a clear way to drop it if I was wrong. (Sorry, details will not be provided...) I intended it as a paper trail, in case I was misunderstood. I also intended it to be confidential... just between us womb-mates. She never mentioned it... and I let it go, since I had finished it with an escape clause, telling her I would never mention it again if she didn't.

Well... silly me! I DID hear of it again, but from my brother... much later... during a family squabble. It was taken completely wrong... and it was just fuel for the fire.

Since, I have been VERY careful with whom I show my writings to. (In fact... I don't keep a journal because I am afraid of someone reading it. Explains why I am blogless too.)

That being said... the only writing I can say I changed because of concern of the reader would be some emails I have written. Sadly, the ones I have changed I am not willing to discuss in an open forum... because of that DAMN BRICK!

So, I am batting a thousand with these assignments... (They don't call me sarcastic Stever for nothing!)

Loved the story Birdie... I have GOT to come visit that wacky land you live in. :P

Question EVERYTHING!

OK, I did it - again!

milife — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 20:44:17 -0500

This one was really hard for me. Every character I invented was just my inner critic dressed as a bus driver, or a crab fisherman, or an old lady in a bad wig. I had to tell her to pipe down so I could write. Maybe if I were a more confident writer this would work better for me.

Anyway, the post is up. Birdie, make sure you read this one!

http://milife.wordpress.com/2007/08/09/assignment-3/