Blogging Basics—How Long and How Often? Monday, Mar 20 2023 

Everyday Life and Writing Tips , , Mary K. Doyle 11:54 am

How long should a blog post be? How often should we post?

In most cases, the answer to both questions is the same—it depends. The audience, topics we cover, personal writing style and time dictate the post length and frequency. However, in general my recommendation would be to write as you want to read. Write posts that are easily consumable—ones that can be read in a few minutes, that are focused, credible, clear, and concise, and on a somewhat regular basis that doesn’t overload a reader’s inbox.

Honestly, I unfollow bloggers who have little to offer, post too often, or whose posts are too long. What is too long or too often? Once again, that depends, but I’d say that a good gauge to consider is that a few paragraphs comprise a post, a few pages is a magazine or newspaper article, and more than one short chapter is a book. Even my books tend to be rather short. I hope to keep readers engaged throughout and not intimidated by a thick read. Most of us today have short attention spans.

Prior to writing books and public speaking, I wrote newspaper and magazine articles, marketing and business material, and content for cable tv, radio, and online forums. Each type of writing has its own style, although much also carries through. We always need to know our audience, share solid information, and write clearly.

Writing is my passion, vocation, and career. I’ve been writing professionally since I was in my teens and strive to write pieces that are informative, comforting, inspiring, and/or entertaining. I want readers to feel better, happier, and motivated after reading my works.

I’ve been writing Midwest Mary since 2012 and wrote several other blogs that I’ve since closed. I know if I posted more often, I’d have more readers. My goal is to post twice a week, although I rarely achieve this because of other obligations and health constraints. My audience has also become more worldwide, which is likely true for all long-time bloggers, therefore I don’t assume readers know the background of what I’m writing, especially if it is locally oriented. A little more explanation may be needed in these posts.

I’d love to hear thoughts from other bloggers and readers as well as questions from potential bloggers. What do you think makes a solid post?

***The Rosary Prayer by Prayer can assist you in pondering Christ’s passion. You also may be interested in Grieving with Mary and Fatima at 100. Fatima Today.

 

Sell Sheet. The First Marketing Piece of a New Book Tuesday, Feb 28 2023 

Books and Business and Sales and Writing Tips , , , , Mary K. Doyle 4:23 pm

Marketing is a must in book publishing. Competition is fierce, and after years of working on a manuscript, and then a few more getting it published, no one will be aware a book exists if we don’t inform them. One of the first ways of doing this is through a piece called a sell sheet.

Sell sheets contain the who, what, when, where, whys, and how of the book. When well-worded, the advertisement draws interest through its compelling call to perspective readers. As shown in the sell sheet below for my new book, Tranquility. Transformation. Transcendence. The Enchanting Promises of Public Gardens, readers see the new cover, learn the book title, ISBN number, number of pages in the book, its price, and when and where it will be available, as well as how to pre-order. There also is a summary of the book, two or three early reviews, and a few sentences about the author.

Sell sheets are then sent to target organizations, communities, and local media. Friends, and family may also receive this piece in hopes that they will help spread the word. Please comment if you’d like to know more about sell sheets or my new book. I’d love to hear from you.

 

The Peculiarities of an Artist Wednesday, Aug 14 2019 

Culture and Everyday Life and Mood and Perspective and Writing Tips , , , Mary K. Doyle 12:13 pm

A writer died and met St. Peter at the pearly gates. St. Peter told the writer that she’d be going to heaven but would satisfy her curious mind by showing her hell before entering.

The writer walked into hell and was horrified to see all the souls with beads of sweat pouring from them as they frantically kept writing, writing, writing at their desks for all eternity.

“Wow,” remarked the writer. “I’m glad I’m not going there.”

Then St. Peter opened the gates of heaven and led the writer to a room where, again, souls were frantically writing, writing, writing at their desks.

“I don’t understand,” exclaimed the writer. “How is this different from hell?”

St. Peter responded, “In heaven, all the writers get published.”

*

Without a doubt, my mother loved me, but she did not understand me. She found me odd, especially when it came to my need to write, which I’ve wanted to do as long as I can remember. When I was a child, I’d either write or memorize a little poem that I’d tell her before leaving for school in the morning. She realized that writing was my passion but was too practical to believe I could make a living at it.

I never fit my mother’s strict, mater-of-fact idea of a respectable employee and therefore, a responsible adult. I was, and am, a freelance writer, which meant to her that I could not adequately support my family as a single parent. She often pointed out that the department store, Penney’s, was hiring.

Many of us writers, artists, musicians, dancers, and others in the arts have college degrees or specialized training in addition to years, or decades, of experience. And yet, our employment and financial security can be uncertain. We rarely experience job security even if we once reigned at the top in our field.

However, our need to create and work in our art is necessary for us to thrive emotionally. Writing is my oxygen. I must put words together, write, rewrite, and publish, preferably, with financial gain. It’s integral to the essence of my being.

Overall, my mother noticed that artists are different. We perceive the world from an alternate perspective taking in everything and everyone around us, not only through our eyes, but also through our hearts. We are highly sensitive to universal energy, which sets us up for depression, anxiety, and sometimes, addiction to relieve the pain we absorb from others.

We are curious, playful, and compassionate. We are observers, often hiding in the background soaking in the action. We appreciate beauty, variety, the unusual, and unique. We are the explorers, risk takers, innovators, and visionaries–practical and impractical, fearful and fearless at the same time.

Yes, many of us have God-given talent and enjoy what we do, but we truly do sweat to make it as meaningful as possible. Our objective is that our pieces speak for themselves well beyond the words, the paint, the sounds, the movements.

All of this makes following an earthly clock challenging, especially when we’re in our groove. Our own sense of timing sets in, removing us further from the traditionalists. We definitely are following the beat of a different drummer, a rhythm all our own.

We can be that square peg trying to keep up with the rest who fit into all the round holes around us. And the ironic thing is, we don’t want to go into that round hole. It frustrates and irritates us. Our need is to be free, to fly.

We artists are accustomed to criticism and rejection. It’s not your response to our art that hurts us as much as our own. We are harder on ourselves than anyone else could be. It’s so difficult to walk away from a piece that can never really feel complete or perfect.

So please don’t take our need for periodic isolation and moodiness personally. We know that we can appear aloof and detached, but we are not ignoring you. We’re just lost in our art and a space neither here nor there. We’re off in other-worldly dimensions of creativity and will see you again soon.

*********

Join in the conversation every Friday on my author Facebook Page.

Have you seen my last post on Mary K Doyle Books, “Land of the Free?”

 

 

Statistics and Magician’s Wife Tuesday, Feb 23 2016 

Business and Culture and Everyday Life and History and Nature and Perspective and Writing Tips , , , , , , Mary K. Doyle 1:16 pm

 

Storytelling throughout history was the passing on of the essence of an event. Specific details were not necessary. It was a person’s emotional interpretation of a significant occurrence. The heart of the story was what was important.

These stories would get passed down by word of mouth, so they altered along the way. I recently heard on the science program, Nova, that every time we recall a memory, we edit it. It becomes less and less accurate because our imagination fills in bits and pieces of things that may have happened, and then those imagined additions become part of the memory.

Today, we do more reporting than storytelling. We want specific details—time, dates, and numbers. When I wrote Sunday feature articles for the Chicago Tribune, three things were to be included: real voices, meaningful quotes, and statistics. Stories needed to be about people with real concerns, told in their own words, and backed up with relevant data.

Statics are an important element in substantiating a story. They tell a level of truth in numbers. Although it was my least favorite college class, I do realize its significance from sports and politics to science and demographics. However, in all reality, even those numbers are a matter of interpretation and can be twisted.

WordPress offers a stats page for each of my blogs. It shows the number of views, likes, visitors, and comments for every post and even where those viewers are located. These numbers give me an idea of who is reading my blogs and whether they are of interest to anyone. There is a wide variation of numbers for many reasons including relevancy of content, writing style, and the time and day of posting.

My most viewed post ran back on August 19, 2013. It had 777 views on WordPress plus countless others via Facebook reposting.

For those who might like to re-read it, and those who never saw it, here it is again:Top 10 Ways You Know You Are a Magicians Wife

©2016, Mary K Doyle

 

Expressing Sympathy Tuesday, Aug 5 2014 

Everyday Life and Family and How To and Writing Tips , , , , Mary K. Doyle 1:31 pm

“We have no words to express our sorrow.” Really? There are at least a quarter of a million words in the English language. Did you actually run out of all of them? After a death, we wish to express our sadness and offer a bit of comfort to their close friends and family. We say some silly things because we just don’t know what to say. We don’t know how to make things better. One of the most common sentences in sympathy cards is, “You are in my thoughts and prayers.” If you’ve experienced the death of a loved one, you probably received a stack of notes with this sentence. These, and other common expressions such as, “I’m sorry for your loss” or “I’m sorry for your troubles,” are fine to start with, but you might stop and think for just a moment. Begin by thinking about the person you are writing to and the one who passed away:

  • Can you say something kind about your friend or their deceased loved one?
  • Perhaps you have a fond memory of them that you can share.
  • Can you remark on their outstanding reputation, personality, or generosity?
  • Did the deceased suffer a long illness or die suddenly?
  • Was your friend involved in their care?
  • Can you identify with your friend’s loss?
  • Do you know of a Bible verse, prayer, or poem that is appropriate?

Expressing a thought imperfectly is better than not saying anything at all. Go ahead and use those common phrases if you can’t come up with anything else. But taking one more minute to think before writing or speaking truly can offer a moment of comfort to someone who is grieving.

©2014, Mary K. Doyle

 

Why We Write Friday, Jun 20 2014 

Everyday Life and Writing Tips , , Mary K. Doyle 5:13 pm

My online friend, Terry McDermott, asked me to continue a series on writing that is being passed from one writer to another. There are four basic questions you may find of interest if you are a writer or interested in the writing process.

Here are the questions and my answers:

1. What are you working on?

I have several projects in the works. I write posts for:

I also am working on two different books on the same topic. But it’s too early in the process to talk about them just yet.

 

2. What makes your work different from others’ work in the same genre?

My goal is to write in easy, digestible language on matters relevant to most of us. I try to keep everything positive but realistic and offer options and resolutions where possible.

 

3. Why do you write what you do?

I write on topics I want to know more about and think my readers do to. I search for credible research and offer it to the public in a clear, concise post or book. In the end, it is the post or book that I was hoping to find before I began writing.

 

4. How does your writing process work?

I begin my day in prayer, and one of the things I pray about is for the Holy Spirit to guide my writing.

Then I make notes in a running list of topics. Whether I’m writing a short piece or an entire book, I think of the project as a puzzle. I write out lists and fragments of thought, lay out all the pieces, and then begin fitting them together until I have the full picture.

I read and rewrite everything repeatedly, and I read the piece aloud at least once. We can usually hear if something is unclear or awkward even if we don’t see it.

Once I feel I’m ready to publish, I end in prayer. I ask that the right people get the right information in a way that is meaningful to them.

 

And now I tag two other writers I want to know more about and think you also will find of interest:

Seasonsgirl, on the seasons of life

Interesting Literature, about authors and famous works

(See Terry’s blog, 8 Kids and a Business, which centers on current issues important to Catholics today. )

©2014 Mary K. Doyle

 

http://8kidsandabusiness.wordpress.com/

 

 

Lost in Interpretation Tuesday, Apr 1 2014 

Everyday Life and Perspective and Writing Tips , , , Mary K. Doyle 10:04 am

The first thing I said to my sister when I called was that I couldn’t talk long.

“How long do you have to talk,” Patti asked. And then we both laughed. With the inflection in her voice, it sounded like she was asking, “How long must you talk to me?” rather than, “How much time do you have to talk?” which is what she intended.

Our words are often misunderstood. How many arguments include the words, “That’s not what I meant” and “That’s not what I said”? We don’t speak clearly, in correct language, or express ourselves accurately. We mumble and speak in sound bites. Nor do we censor our own words nearly enough, and once they are out, they cannot be retrieved.

Listeners also have their issues. We don’t listen well, we are distracted, take things out of context, and hear emotionally rather than intellectually. We interpret the meaning of what is said from our perspective rather than take it in literally. We talk at the same time the other person is speaking, which means we aren’t listening.

We talk to such a great an extent that it is impossible to weigh every word. If we say every thought out-loud (or on social media), how can we not get ourselves in trouble?

Peace between family and friends begins with one brief moment of consideration before speaking, texting, or emailing. If what we are saying is important enough to express, let’s vow to take a moment to do it clearly and thoughtfully. And let’s at least attempt to listen like we want to be listened to.

©2014, Mary K. Doyle

 

 

Truth Be Known Friday, Jan 24 2014 

Everyday Life and How To and Leadership and Perspective and Writing Tips , , , Mary K. Doyle 9:05 pm

In the presence of young children you hear some interesting stories. I worked in preschool classrooms for a number of years as an assistant and then as the lead teacher. It wasn’t unusual to learn from the little angels what happened at home the previous evening, some of which was best not repeated.

Most often, I informed parents of what their child told me. I felt they should be aware of what little eyes saw, how it was understood, and that I knew. I also assured them that I realized the story was taken out of context and interpreted by a preschooler.

I keep this in mind when interviewing and speaking with adults as well. We can’t help but taint the information we pass on due to our own personal viewpoints, experiences, prejudices, and knowledge. We make judgments and assumptions before we know all the facts. How often do you hear people comment on the actions of celebrities as if they know the whole story from the snippet presented on the news?

The “truth” is often buried in the midst of random comments, observations, and rumors. The saying made famous by Edgar Allen Poe, “Believe only half of what you see and nothing that you hear,” reminds us to take lightly what is offered as fact. Even when an entire community speaks something as truth, it is not necessarily so.

Early in my journalism career a respected editor encouraged me to use credible sources and real voices in telling a story. I continue this practice when verifying facts even for these short blog postings. For example, in some of the past posts written on medical topics I searched sources such as the American Medical Association, Mayo Clinic, American Pediatrics, and Alzheimer’s Association for information. I also look for “experts” in the field, people with first-hand experience.

And whether interviewing sources for an in-depth piece or casually chatting with an individual, I consider the person’s credibility. Are they stable individuals really in a position to know what they are talking about? Are they so close to someone or something that they do not recognize potential problems or flaws? Are they jealous or envious of the person we are speaking about?

Determining the absolute truth may be impossible, but if it is important for us to know, we have to verify the facts to our best ability, assess the credibility of our sources, and make our best unbiased judgment. Anything other than that is pointless.

©2014, Mary K. Doyle

 

LOL, My BFF Monday, Nov 11 2013 

Culture and Everyday Life and Writing Tips , , , , Mary K. Doyle 10:27 pm

Texting is not a verbal language. My son-in-law Steve says this to the young people whom he works with. But it probably won’t be long before some of it actually is.

Language is never stagnant. If you read a 20 year-old book, you will notice that some of the wording is dated. Words are incorporated into our language from other languages, cultures, and trends. The more we use new words, alter their meaning, or discontinue their use, the more likely they will become a part of our everyday language in their new form. There is a whole area that deals with this. Etymology is the study of the history of words – their origins and how they evolved.

Many of our newer words, or ways in which we use them, are associated with technology. My grandparents would have no idea what email or Internet means, and they used the words domain and reboot quite differently than we do today.

Texting also has created many words and prompted a shorthand young people know very well. As if written in code, those unfamiliar with texting have little to no clue as to the letters’ and symbols’ meanings. The danger is when we no longer know how to spell-out what they represent, such as R (are) and luv (love).

And yes, we will pick up many of these text words in our daily spoken and written language. B4 u know it the general public may simply say LOL (Lots of Laughs or Laughing out Loud) and BFF (Best Friends Forever). 🙂

©2013, Mary K. Doyle

 

What “I” Says About Me Tuesday, Nov 5 2013 

Culture and Everyday Life and Writing Tips , Mary K. Doyle 10:34 am

If I use the word “I” often, is it really all about me?

A recent article by Elizabeth Berstein in the Wall Street Journal said that the amount of times we say the word “I” says more about us than we realize. The common thought was that the more we used the personal pronoun, the more self-centered we are. Traditionally it’s considered rude to begin a letter with the word “I” because it places the focus on the writer rather than the point of the letter or person the letter is addressed to.

It’s also interesting that in the English language we capitalize the personal pronoun whereas in most other languages, it is lower case such as yo in Spanish, je in French, and ja in Polish. Some may say that shows how self-centered we are as a culture.

But in fact, research from the University of Texas indicates that people who say the word “I” often are less powerful or sure of themselves. They believe it is an indication that they feel subordinate to the person they are talking to.

And marriage therapists encourage partners to speak from their point of view and use the word “I” during a confrontation. The practice of saying what “I” feel, did, or said is less accusatory than pointing the finger and saying what “you” do, did, or should be doing. Some research also indicates that it is more difficult to lie when using the word “I.”

At this point I don’t know how I feel about the use of the word “I,” or how often I use it, but I can honestly say, I don’t lie and I didn’t do it.

©2013, Mary K. Doyle

 

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