That was the first writing community to which I belonged.  Granted, it was only a community of two but it was rewarding nonetheless.  I can’t stress just how important it is to find a writing community in which you feel comfortable, particularly if you are just beginning to share your work with others.  You must get your words in front of eyes other than your own.  Preferably you should find a community where members take turns reviewing each others’ works.

If you live in a large city, you may have the good fortune of having a writing group that holds meeting nearby.  However, if you are like me, it may be more practical to find a writing community online.  I looked for quite some time for a community in which I felt comfortable and ended up settling down at www.writingforums.org It is a friendly board that not only has forums for critiquing each others’ work, but also forums for writing discussions in general.  It is populated by beginners and professionals alike.

But don’t assume you will just be able to go there and post your work immediately.  You may only post your own work once you have critiqued at least two pieces of someone else’s.  This is a definite strength of the site.  One of the best ways to improve your own writing is to review other’s writings.  If you haven’t done this before you just might be surprised at the insights into your own writing that you will reap.

So go find yourself a community to join and feel free to share the good ones with the rest of us.

The Amazon Kindle 1.0

Right out of the gate I will say that one of the biggest positives about the Kindle is that it has allowed me to read more. I typically read more than one book at a time and with the Kindle I have my entire book collection with me at any given time, ready to produce whatever book for which my tastes may be hankering at the moment.

The e-ink technology is phenomenal. There is no light emitted from the screen so it is as easy on your eyes as a paper page of text. Actually, it is even easier on your eyes due to the fact that you can choose the font size that is most comfortable for you. Reading outside in the light of the bright sun? No problem.

I find that the page buttons are actually well placed. Whichever hand I happen to be holding the Kindle in there is a next page button within easy reach of a finger or thumb. I have read the complaints about the touchy previous page button but I find no such problem when the Kindle is used in conjunction with the Kindle cover. The cover does make it easy to hold and offers that added piece of mind when carrying it around with you. I did, however, think the cover was a bit plain so I purchased a handmade canvas and deer skin Kindle cover off of eBay.

The built in Oxford dictionary is a handy little tool. Typically when I read a novel one or two words pop up with which I am unfamiliar. Pre-Kindle I would usually just skip over the word, thus missing out on the opportunity to expand my vocabulary. With the Kindle, however, the definition is just two thumb clicks away.

But what about the feel? I must admit that my major concern before purchasing the Kindle was losing that old fashioned “book feel” of the paper against by fingertips, even the smell. But a chapter into my first book the device itself just “disappeared” and I became engrossed in the story, just as I do with a physical book. In addition to that, it is just easier to read with the Kindle. I no longer have to keep one hand occupied holding the book open. I can lay the Kindle down on the table and read while eating. I can even, for the first time in my life, get a good cardio workout on a treadmill while reading a book. I just crank up the font size and place it on the treadmill reading stand. Reading with the Kindle is just plain more comfortable than reading the old fashioned way.  Between my lunches and the time I spend on the treadmill the Kindle has allowed me to add about 12 extra hours of reading to my week.

When I went home to the States for Christmas I was able to test out the Whispernet functionality.  It was very convenient.  However, most of my time is spent overseas where that particular feature is not available.  But one does not need Whispernet to enjoy the Kindle. Amazon allows you to download your purchases directly from your online media library to your computer. From there you can connect your Kindle to your computer via a USB cable and download your books. I find it very simple and quick. One downside to this, however, is you cannot download the samples this way. As of this writing, samples can only be downloaded via Whispernet.

When I first opened my Kindle I felt the keyboard took up too much space. In fact, since I don’t usually have access to Whispernet I was thinking I would be better off without a keyboard all together and dedicating more of the space to the screen. But now that it is there I actually find myself using the keyboard to take notes in the books I am reading. So while I initially disliked the keyboard, it has now grown on me.

The one feature of the Kindle that I could do without is the audio feature. It is a poor MP3 player because you can only use it on random shuffle and the ability to fast forward and rewind does not exist. Amazon should either ditch the MP3 player, thus making the device a little lighter and cutting down on cost, or at least make the MP3 player fully functional.

The Kindle is expensive. There is no getting around that. It has come down a little in price to $359 since I purchased mine.  My hope is that the price will continue to drop. That being said, I have come to cherish my Kindle so much that, knowing what I know now, I likely would have been willing to pay twice the amount.

Generation 2.0

Now, I have not tried version 2.0 as of yet but I still have some things to say about it.  Personally, I feel Amazon

The Amazon Kindle 2.0

jumped the gun in releasing the newest version.  The changes that have been made are not significant enough to merit an upgrade.  If anything they should call this the Kindle 1.5.

The device seems fine enough and I am sure it is slightly superior to the one sitting here by my computer as I type.  It is said to be thinner, have a crisper screen and longer battery life.  The device was already thinner than any

paperbacks I read, the screen already as crisp as text on a paper page and I only have to charge my Kindle 1.0 about once a week for less than an hour.  The new improvements are nice but perhaps they could have waited to upgrade until, say, e-ink had color capability.

I can do without the color, but the one thing I was really hoping for in the newest version was a larger screen.  Why does the keyboard take up so much room on the device?  The device is a reader.  The keyboard is only used for a small fraction of the time, if at all.

So yes, I am a little confused as to why Amazon went ahead with an upgrade at this point in time, but I still think the device is one of the best things to happen to reading since Gutenburg.  When that sad day comes that my current Kindle goes to that giant garbage heap in the sky, the very first thing I shall do, after a few minutes of mourning, is purchase the newest version.

Monday through Friday from 8:00 to 5:00 I work hard at my federal job, which I do enjoy by the way.  So how do I manage to juggle that with my writing projects and all the other aspects of my life?  There are five rules that I feel are important to follow.

Rule #1 - Set aside writing time everyday and make it sacred

I make certain that I set aside a block of time everyday to write and I stick to that.  If I don’t have any writing projects on the burner I spend that time marketing myself or reading books on how to make myself a better writer.

Rule #2 - Work ahead

Are you a procrastinator by nature?  It is O.K. to admit it, I am.  Some of the best writers are.  It is a simple enough affliction to battle by following rule #1.  But it is not enough to merely stay on schedule; you must strive to stay ahead of schedule.  Life being the unpredictable rascal that it is, you can count on it throwing unexpected obstacles in your path as the week progresses.  By working ahead in your dedicated time (as well as any spare time that you may happen across) you will build up a handy time buffer.

Rule #3 - Collaborate when need be

Writing is usually a fairly lonely endeavor and writers by nature are accustomed to working solo.  But when the world is coming down around you and a deadline is barreling down the road in your direction, it might be time to ask for back-up.  It is always good to keep a list of writers whom you know and trust for such occasions.  You need not pawn off the actual writing to you colleague, but if the project requires research or performing an interview perhaps he or she would be willing to take that particular burden off your shoulders, provided you share the fame and fortune that comes with the project, or at least promise to return the favor in the future.

Rule #4 - Think twice about the assignments you take

A full-time freelancer can handle several writing projects at a time, and in fact, must handle several at a time in order to make ends meet.  As part-time freelancers we don’t usually have that luxury/responsibility.  Our time is a rare commodity and we must be ever diligent in how we spend it.  I have decided that I cannot in good conscience handle more than one writing project at a time.  By doing this I know that I will be able to give the client the best possible service in a timely manner.  There is also the not inconsiderable benefit of maintaining my own sanity.  Perhaps you can take on more than one project at a time.  But be wary of taking on much more than that.

Rule #5 - Be honest with your clients

If you are a part-time freelancer then be proud of that and don’t attempt to present yourself as anything other than.  Some writers are self-conscious about their part-time status, assuming that clients will think of them as less than professional.  Sure, some will.  But remember, as part-time writers we must be more picky about the jobs we take anyway.  Also, plenty of clients will see the added benefit of hiring a writer who has a more varied pool of life experiences from which to draw, which is invariably the case with a writer who has an occupation other than just writing.

The part-time writing life can be just as fulfilling as its full-time counterpart.  Each of us must decide for ourselves when the time is right to make that final leap into the full-time life.  Some will never choose to take that leap and may have very good reasons for not doing so.  As for me, I intend to continue on part-time for quite a few more years.  By then I will be vested in my pension, have savings as well as a sizeable portfolio and list of contacts on which to build my full-time writing business.  That is the plan at least.

The story revolves around a man and his son traveling through a post-apocalyptic world. There is little backstory and the reader knows next to nothing of these characters’ lives before the nuclear winter that has killed off virtually all animal and plant life. The Man and the Boy, for we have no other names to call them, are constantly on the move with hunger and fear as their only other companions.

In this world, that is all but biologically dead, their only sources of food are canned goods and other non-perishables. However, such items are rare and seem almost anachronistically out of place in this gray and cold primitive world into which the author has dropped us. Of course, the roving bands of cannibals have opted for a more eclectic menu from which to choose.

In a world that is forever shrouded from the sun, the one ray of light is that of the love between the man and the boy. The only good the man sees in the world is wholly encompassed in his son. All that he does, including choosing to live, is done solely for the boy. It is this relationship that most keeps the reader vested in the story.

It takes a little time to become accustomed to McCarthy’s style of writing. The incomplete sentences and apostropheless contractions got under the skin of the English major in me at times but the book lover in me came to appreciate it. The truncated grammar actually plays a role in relaying the spartan world in which the story unfolds.

My only qualm with the novel is that on numerous occasions McCarthy uses a rather obscure vocabulary. Even the most well read of readers will find themselves reaching for the dictionary a distracting number of times throughout the book.

Over the years I have read numerous post-apocalyptic and end-of-world novels and have frankly become bored with them. Had this book not been the recipient of the Pulitzer I likely never would have read it. I am glad I did. We have all read books of which we remember little and we have all read books that stand out in our minds over time. I believe this is one of the latter.

Sometimes I lie to myself.

I intend to use this outlet to write about freelance writing specifically and my overall life in general. My hope is that prospective clients will get a better feel for who I am. I also hope to network with other writers so that we may share our experiences and learn from one another.

And amidst such serious aspirations, I also intend to have some fun.