M. Dunn's Open Salon Blog

Countdown to Publication

Wed, 18 May 2011 11:05:09 -0400

It has been a long winter in the Midwest, but during my hibernation period I've been working on a project that is now nearing completion. It's a children's book about Rose Nichols, one of the first women garden designers in the United States.

Rose Nichols-The Garden Girl

Illustrations by Aisling Kiernan

In case you've never heard of Rose Standish Nichols, she was born on January 11, 1872. For more than 75 years, she lived at 55 Mount Vernon Street in Boston. She authored many articles and three books: English Pleasure Gardens, Portuguese Gardens, and Italian Pleasure Gardens. Today some of her gardens have been restored and are as beautiful as when she designed them over 100 years ago. Rose died on January 27, 1960.

In our modern culture when children spend a great deal of time indoors with electronics, it seems appropriate to remind them of outdoor activities, like gardening, that bring the pleasure of enjoying nature.

Are you a gardener? Are there books about gardening that you enjoy? Please share them with us here.

Chynna Laird

Sun, 21 Nov 2010 12:11:25 -0500

I wrote today's post as part of the WOW-Women on Writing Blanket Tour for "Not Just Spirited: A Mom's Sensational Journey with Sensory Processing Disorder" by Chynna Laird. The book is a memoir of a mother fighting for a diagnosis when countless doctors told her that her daughter was just "spirited". If you comment on today's post you'll be entered to win a copy of Not Just Spirited.

“There is no defeat except from within, no really insurmountable barrier save our own inherent weakness of purpose.”

(Elbert Hubbard’s Scrap Book, 1923)

When I read this quote recently, I thought of Chynna Laird. She is a role model for women because of her attitude that refuses to let life’s problems defeat and destroy her spirit.

I first learned about Laird on the Women on Writing web site. She’s an author and a mom who has encountered what would seem to be an insurmountable barrier in the experience of motherhood.

At the age of two-and-a half, her daughter Jaimie was diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder, an inability to cope with people and the environment. As any mother knows, accepting and dealing with a child’s disorder/illness is more taxing than coping with your own health problems.

Wanting to know more about Laird, I investigated her writings on the SPD blog. I was inspired by her positive attitude and strength of purpose in meeting her challenge head on. Here is part of what she had to say:

“To me, Sensory Processing Disorder has been a blessing in a strange way because Jaimie has introduced me to a unique perspective of seeing and living in our world. I know that one day, Jaimie will be able to pass along her experiences onto others . . .to help those families to move forward along their journeys . . . because by then she will have the wisdom and experience to draw from . . . These are beautiful gifts that give me hope for the future—to see that there is an end of the road for our journey. . . After all, a journey—and SPD journey—is ongoing and filled with new adventure every day.”

What a positive outlook! Right?

Maybe all of us should plan to read Laird’s book, hoping that some of her strength and resolve in dealing with life’s problems will filter through to us.

Tah Dah! The Contest Winner!

Fri, 12 Nov 2010 09:11:37 -0500

The contest winner of the free book by Helen Gallagher

Blog Power and Social Media Handbook is

Rita Bourland!

Congratulations, Rita!

An Interview with Writer Helen Gallagher

Sun, 7 Nov 2010 16:11:02 -0500

Helen Gallagher is the author of Blog Power and Social Media Handbook that I featured last week. In this post, she responds to questions about writing:

What has been your greatest challenge as a writer?

Time to focus is a growing challenge. Tuning out distractions is easier when I work with deadlines, even self-imposed. I've learned to create separation between writing for an audience and my personal writing for pleasure. I have been blogging since 2004 and find the act of blog writing keeps the writing joints lubricated for turning our work faster.

What feedback have you gotten about your writing?

Just this weekend, I spoke at Chicago-area Mensa's four-day conference, and a person who attended my one-hour session and read my book said it was the most value she got out of the entire conference. She is the rare exception, of course. Most of my feedback mentions 'clarity' as a component of my delivery, both in speaking and writing. People often say I write as though I'm speaking directly to them. That is very nice to hear, and perhaps comes from my consulting background.

Do you collaborate in a critique group with other writers?

No - I'm a true introvert and much prefer to work alone. But I do a great deal of online and in-person networking with writing groups. I believe we have an obligation to support groups that support writers, so I'm as visible as I can be year-round. I did take a half-day writing workshop this summer with Lisa Rosenthal, and sold an essay the next day, so there certainly is value in the group approach.

Do you have a writing routine? If so, what is it?

I save Sunday for personal writing, usually essays, travel pieces or research. The rest of my writing is a time set aside, usually with the laptop and no phone interruptions. I don't write well if my mind is not clear, or if I have other Type-A tasks waiting for my attention. I get them out of the way, and then I write. I go from first to last draft on the computer, and keep good records using Microsoft OneNote for all my research and interviews. Because I'm organized, I keep track of all the threads and ideas I want to develop, and all the potential markets. This gives me a great starting place even if I only have twenty minutes of peaceful time for writing.

Describe the space where you usually write.

My space is in the sun, like a cat. I have a home office, and a wireless Windows 7 laptop that roams with me from room to room, so I follow the light throughout the day. I rarely work at my desk, because bills create bad karma.

What was your motivation and projected audience for Blog Power and Social Media Handbook.

I wrote this book for the men and women who don't want to spend time with social media, but might change their mind if they learn a bit of the history, purpose and benefit. I explain why people should care about this new form of communication, and discuss the likelihood that it will be around for a long time, in some form. The convergence of digital publishing and social media creates exciting opportunities for writers to gain exposure, make money, and stay informed in a fraction of the time required through normal channels.Blog Power and Social Media Handbook is a quick way to get informed and decide how much you wish to participate. I was motivated when I studied how effectively non-profits are using social media, and at the ASJA conference in April. I was stunned to learn editors actually give out assignments via Twitter. Needless to say I dropped my "twitter quitter" mantra, and signed up right there in the conference room. I wasn't able to see Twitter's purpose until I got involved. I now use a browser tool called echofon that delivers Twitter feed so I spend about only about five minutes a day on it but I don't miss anything. For writers in particular, you won't get hired to write for blogs or social media sites if you're not familiar with them.

What other books have you written?

I am also the author of Release Your Writing: Book Publishing Your Way, and of Computer Ease. I'm also a contributor to ASJA's Sixty Candles anthology, Lonely Planet's Travelers Tales series, and to Kelly James-Enger's new book Goodbye Byline: Hello Big Bucks, a powerful book about ghostwriting.

Besides writing, what other activities fill your calendar?

In addition to tech consulting, I spend a lot of time helping clients get their books published and create visibility for higher book sales. I'm in various stages of this process with six clients at the moment. Some need a little help in manuscript formatting, choosing a publisher, or author marketing services. And a few people need all that I offer - so it clearly is a service that fills a need.

Is there something else about yourself that you would like your

readers to know?

I am motivated by the longevity and power of good writing, and encourage other writers to stay focused on their goals. Staying positive is a critical part of success, and I take great enjoyment in helping other people achieve their dreams.

"A book on your desk is a manuscript. A book in print is a dream come true." -- Helen Gallagher

My blogs are:
cclarity.blogspot.com
pajamamarketing.wordpress.com
releaseyourwriting.blogspot.com

Book Giveaway Contest

Sat, 30 Oct 2010 17:10:23 -0400

Attention all bloggers!

Just by leaving a comment on this blog, you will have a chance to win a copy of Helen Gallagher’s new book, Blog Power and Social Media Handbook.

Helen’s book is a resource for the blogger who wants to use social media to advance his or her online presence. Take a look at the table of contents:

In Part One-Blog Power covers the logistics of setting up a blog and maintaining it as an online platform;

In Part Two-Social Media acquaints new bloggers with the advantages of joining Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter and other online opportunities for networking;

In Part Three-Five ways to Make It Work for You shows bloggers how to set up an organized plan for blogging and evaluate it from time to time.

And now for the contest rules:

Leave a comment or question on this blog by

Thursday, November 11, 9:00 p.m. CST.

Leave an email address with your comment.

Remember, books will only be mailed in the United States.

That’s it!

From the list of responders, one winner will be chosen randomly using Random.org. for the selection process.

The winner will be notified by email on Friday, November 12.

And be sure to visit this blog next week for an interview with the author,

Helen Gallagher.

Good luck and keep blogging!