Link to Why I Homeschool (published in The Home School Court Report)

Follow this link, http://www.hslda.org/courtreport/V25N5/V25N512.asp , which takes you to the Parent to Parent page of HSLDA's Home School Court Report. In their Sept/Oct 2009 edition and on this page, My reason for Homeschooling has been published under Dawn H. You're welcome to check it out!

Thursday, December 3, 2009

The Unexpected

It's that time of year where as you drive through the neighborhood after the sun goes down, the pretty lights come out. Sometimes you can see several homes is a row that are quite creative with their decorative display of holiday pleasure.

But it's always a pleasant surprise when you come around the corner to see a display for the first time in the Christmas season; that's when it's unexpected.

Many true pleasures in life are unexpected. You don't necessarily see them coming. Or maybe when you do, you don't realize how beautiful they are until they're right upon you. In all of their delightful, glorious dimensions.

Like birds migrating just before winter. When you see them on the horizon, they may not appear to be a flock of birds. Perhaps they're just a shifting, dark cloud in the sky.

As I drive up the highway during this time of year, I am inspired with the elegance, beauty, and instinctive dance of those migrating winged creatures. Sometimes I'm tempted to pull over and take a photo or video to capture their flight.

When I see these groups of feathered friends do their dance across the sky, it amazes me how they never move the same way every time. No matter how they swoop, mingle, or settle to congregate in trees and on telephone wires, their recital is always fresh, always unexpected.

They always know where they are going. Rarely are they alone. And they are always communicating, either through their vocal melodies or unspoken connection with one another.

It is often through unexpected communication that we can receive the direction or the encouragement we are looking for; whether it be through the lyric of a song, a verse of Scripture, or a kind word of affirmation when someone sees or hears us doing something that resonates with them.

We may find ourselves at times thinking we are heading the wrong way, especially when we are out of our comfort zone. Or perhaps we feel like we're in a rut and need a change, but we don't know which way to go.

Always keep your mind open for new ways of thinking and doing; the unexpected can be just what you need to get back on track or start a new one.

There are boundless possibilities. And there is no telling what beauty will be waiting for you right around the corner.

What is that instinctive, unexpected voice telling you? Are you listening?

© 2009 by Dawn Herring
Posted by journalwriter at 6:37 PM 8 comments
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Three Steps Toward Accountability...to Yourself (as published in SFC Newsletter, Dec 08 edition)

Accountability: to give a reckoning or explanation for one’s actions, responsible.

When most people think of accountability, they often negatively associate it with answering to others, such as a spouse, a friend, a mentor, or, in most cases, a boss. As a writer, you are your own boss, which is one of the reasons that you need to be accountable to yourself. And it can be a positive experience rather than a negative one.

The first step in being accountable to yourself as a writer is setting goals for your writing and keeping track of projects you want to finish. Incurring a deadline for yourself can help
motivate you in this area. This step can also include daily writing goals. Some authors plan how many words or pages per day they will write.
I’ve set goals for myself as a writer by making them reachable and attainable. This year I have set a goal to write at least one scene for my novel per week and at least one other piece,
whether it be memoir or essay, per week. That can mean just making notes, writing a first draft, or revising a draft.
As long as your goals keep you moving forward and you’re making progress, then you know you’re headed in the right direction.

Once you have your goals set, the next step in accountability to yourself is writing down what you accomplish each day. You can use a daily calendar just for writing or keep track of your
daily accomplishments on your computer. I designed a custom monthly writing calendar. It helps me track what I write daily, whether or not I’ve met my goal for the week, and it has
space for ideas for future writing pieces. I also have a spot to keep track of books I’m reading for that month. I use abbreviations to keep the daily writing easier and to save space. As I review each completed month, I can go back to see what I’ve accomplished and keep track of when I wrote each piece.
Whether you use something pre-made or customize something for yourself, use whatever works for you and helps you stay accountable to yourself.

A third, and perhaps most important, aspect in accountability in your writing is taking care of yourself as a writer. Than can mean giving yourself space and not being hard on yourself if
you don’t reach your goals each day or each week.
Flexibility and refreshment are paramount to your health as a writer. It also frees up your creativity and can actually help you produce more quality writing in the long run.
I enjoy writing in my journal, reading fiction or memoir, and watching a good movie with my family. Taking a walk, listening to music, talking with your family members, and just taking time to sit and enjoy life are all ways you can be good to
yourself—and ultimately accountable—as a writer.

Learn to celebrate your accomplishments and your uniqueness as a writer. That’s one of the best ways to be accountable—to yourself!

My Book Review for Christina Katz's Get Known Before the Book Deal (on Amazon.com)

Christina Katz, also known as The Writer Mama, gives you a platform to stand on, July 3, 2009

By

Dawn Herring "JournalWriter Freelance"http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/common/carrot._V47081519_.gif (Dallas, Texas) -

When you first start out as a writer, one of the first things you may ask yourself is this: How do people find out that I exist? Or, in other words, How do I get known?
Get Known Before the Book Deal by Christina Katz answers that question. She gives you sound advice and practical steps toward making yourself known to the world around you, starting with right where you are.
In Christina's chatty and humorous style, she takes you step by step into the platform building process, which simply puts you more and more into the public eye.
She starts you off by asking you what your area of expertise might be in helping you to find your niche and your audience and motivates you with helpful visuals of where your book may end up on the bookstore shelves.
She encourages writers to join professional organizations, teach their expertise, host events in their area of expertise, and be ready to share what they know with their audience by getting out there and getting professionally involved in their community and beyond.
Christina promotes the development of getting your writing in print through freelancing and offering a service focused on your niche.
My favorite part of this book was the final section on growing your platform which includes deciding on your author name, your author identity, and your tag, which explains what you're about, and your bio.
She also covers the online dimension of a writer's platform, including building a website and an email signature, and she offers her perspective on blogging.
Christina has a way of building your confidence and motivating you to use the tools she provides to begin building your platform and growing your audience. When you follow through on her advice, you'll be well on your way to Getting Known.
This review was written by Dawn Herring, JournalWriter Freelance [...]DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/0