Tonight I'm finishing up the draft of my second eBook, a work of selected poems I wrote several years ago. My task now is to search for the right title... Maybe a look through my photos will help trigger a memory of something relevant. It's tougher than you think, getting the right name.
So why this sudden movement to write? I wouldn't say it's sudden so much as "surfacing". (OH-HO! Great title!?!) I was reading "101 Secrets of Highly Effective Speakers" recently and it got me thinking: how can I become more effective at my job? Then I read "Outliers: The Story of Success" (Gladwell) and tried to think smarter: how can I become effective efficiently so that I can get on with all those other projects that I want to finish before I turn 60...?
I was astounded by the examples Gladwell provides in "Outliers", essentially that all these phenomenal people have simply turned out to be regular people living through extraordinary circumstances.
Are we not in extraordinary times now? I can be that regular person -- I can search for those extraordinary circumstances. That's part of what life's all about!
I think everybody has at least one good book inside, waiting to be written. I'm starting to think that I'm getting closer to writing mine...
Showing posts with label literatour. Show all posts
Showing posts with label literatour. Show all posts
24 January 2012
15 January 2012
Happeeee New Year!
This week I published my first eBook!
You may have noticed a lot of people posting recently about getting in on the next big thing: eBooks. Within 24 hours of reading one of these articles, I found myself uploading the files and designing the cover of my first eBook.
"Unsolicited Advice" is exactly that: just a simple, concise collection of advice on 'correcting' a variety of poor habits, as well as suggesting several good habits to start. Not a great literary work but I think it's a good start.
If you're evenly mildly interested, please consider reading the content preview. Maybe you're thinking of gifting it to someone whose poor habits are currently driving you crazy. Be bold: give it to your neighbour or coworker or friend. The book is ultimately a great resolution-maker for everyone.
In fact, my goal was to encourage everyone to strive to become better people -- including myself.
So of course now I'm already planning another book... The next one will be about beer and craftbrewing, I think. I'll keep you posted.
You may have noticed a lot of people posting recently about getting in on the next big thing: eBooks. Within 24 hours of reading one of these articles, I found myself uploading the files and designing the cover of my first eBook.
"Unsolicited Advice" is exactly that: just a simple, concise collection of advice on 'correcting' a variety of poor habits, as well as suggesting several good habits to start. Not a great literary work but I think it's a good start.
If you're evenly mildly interested, please consider reading the content preview. Maybe you're thinking of gifting it to someone whose poor habits are currently driving you crazy. Be bold: give it to your neighbour or coworker or friend. The book is ultimately a great resolution-maker for everyone.
In fact, my goal was to encourage everyone to strive to become better people -- including myself.
So of course now I'm already planning another book... The next one will be about beer and craftbrewing, I think. I'll keep you posted.
21 August 2008
s'Cool Dreamin'
I had a dream last night that I went back to university.
It was September and I moved into a new residence room. Except we snuck in my fiancee and he stayed there the whole term without security knowing it.
Not sure what classes I was taking but seeing as I've been thinking about this lately, I'm pretty sure it had something to do with getting a degree to further my education in education. Am I eligible for a Masters in Education? Not sure yet...
... but I'm checking...
It was September and I moved into a new residence room. Except we snuck in my fiancee and he stayed there the whole term without security knowing it.
Not sure what classes I was taking but seeing as I've been thinking about this lately, I'm pretty sure it had something to do with getting a degree to further my education in education. Am I eligible for a Masters in Education? Not sure yet...
... but I'm checking...
20 August 2008
Brave New Book
I've decided to embark on a book journey: one of my own. Haven't done this in five years but now is a good time to start. I was inspired to after starting to read "The Mapmaker's Dream" -- a lovely book with an interesting plot and wonderful writing...
Words can be so magical sometimes, and so extraneous other times. I hope this is not too vain... or in vain.
Words can be so magical sometimes, and so extraneous other times. I hope this is not too vain... or in vain.
05 February 2008
At A Loss For Words
I have a lost book milling about somewhere at the library.
I'm pretty sure I took it back a few months ago but I have a feeling they skipped it and put it straight on the shelf without scanning it in.
The annoying part is, I have no idea what the title is to remember what it is and what I did with it -- when I look it up online, it has some generic book name instead of a proper title and description.
The librarian clerks told me at the time that if it was at the library like I had said, then someone was bound to come by and check it out, so I would be cleared.
But sometimes I read obscure books...
And sometimes I forget to bring things back...
So which is it? ... And is it worth $8.95 and hassles to find out??
I'm pretty sure I took it back a few months ago but I have a feeling they skipped it and put it straight on the shelf without scanning it in.
The annoying part is, I have no idea what the title is to remember what it is and what I did with it -- when I look it up online, it has some generic book name instead of a proper title and description.
The librarian clerks told me at the time that if it was at the library like I had said, then someone was bound to come by and check it out, so I would be cleared.
But sometimes I read obscure books...
And sometimes I forget to bring things back...
So which is it? ... And is it worth $8.95 and hassles to find out??
06 February 2007
The 4 F's: Feeding, Fighting, Fleeing and Mating
I'm currently on a scented knowledge-gathering buzz, reading up on scents and sensuality.
Did you know that there are some scents out there that can create surprisingly primal responses in humans and animals, especially when it comes to those four basic responses of feeding, fighting, fleeing, and... mating?
Back in my OAC Biology days, I briefly learned about all this stuff for a project we were never supposed to write up and I realized recently that it's been in the back of my mind ever since. So, last month I put some books on hold at the library on this topic and have been reading through them... and lemme tell ya, it's still just as engrossing as it ever was.
I'm talking about Pheromones -- those natural or synthetic odours that affect hormones that affect animal behaviour.
Pheromones are usually known for their influence on sexual behaviour in animals, but what's not commonly known is their impact on how the brain develops, what we remember, and how we learn.
If you think about it, scientists tend to spend more effort researching the 'useful' senses of sight and hearing and touch over that taboo-ridden sense of smell. However, if you look at just a few of the numbers, Smell is sadly under-rated considering it's superior impact on mammalian development...
a) Olfactory receptors (for smell) are the only ones directly hard-wired into the base of the brain. Responses to the other four senses get processed before reaching the brain through other routes.
b) Your typical human has about 100,000 genes, where only 3 of them are used for sight receptors (red, green, blue) -- but more than 1,000 of them are developed for smell receptors.
c) Your typical human can distinguish between 10,000 to 40,000 different odours, with over 100,000 for whiskey blenders or perfumers.
One book in particular has caught my attention this week: "The Scent of Eros" (James Kohl, 1 or 2). It could have been such a boring book, listing all the in-depth physiological descriptions and chemical makeups of one-celled animals through various marine life and all the way up through to humans -- but it's really not. It's so much more. It's incredibly interesting stuff and it's written in a style as if the author was just teaching a cool lecture...
What can I say? It just makes scents.
Did you know that there are some scents out there that can create surprisingly primal responses in humans and animals, especially when it comes to those four basic responses of feeding, fighting, fleeing, and... mating?
Back in my OAC Biology days, I briefly learned about all this stuff for a project we were never supposed to write up and I realized recently that it's been in the back of my mind ever since. So, last month I put some books on hold at the library on this topic and have been reading through them... and lemme tell ya, it's still just as engrossing as it ever was.
I'm talking about Pheromones -- those natural or synthetic odours that affect hormones that affect animal behaviour.
Pheromones are usually known for their influence on sexual behaviour in animals, but what's not commonly known is their impact on how the brain develops, what we remember, and how we learn.
If you think about it, scientists tend to spend more effort researching the 'useful' senses of sight and hearing and touch over that taboo-ridden sense of smell. However, if you look at just a few of the numbers, Smell is sadly under-rated considering it's superior impact on mammalian development...
a) Olfactory receptors (for smell) are the only ones directly hard-wired into the base of the brain. Responses to the other four senses get processed before reaching the brain through other routes.
b) Your typical human has about 100,000 genes, where only 3 of them are used for sight receptors (red, green, blue) -- but more than 1,000 of them are developed for smell receptors.
c) Your typical human can distinguish between 10,000 to 40,000 different odours, with over 100,000 for whiskey blenders or perfumers.
One book in particular has caught my attention this week: "The Scent of Eros" (James Kohl, 1 or 2). It could have been such a boring book, listing all the in-depth physiological descriptions and chemical makeups of one-celled animals through various marine life and all the way up through to humans -- but it's really not. It's so much more. It's incredibly interesting stuff and it's written in a style as if the author was just teaching a cool lecture...
What can I say? It just makes scents.
21 January 2007
Saga Sucker
Saga: not necessarily the medieval Norse life histories in prose naratives, but rather the chronicling of lives of a particular social group told in a long and leisurely narrative. Yes, I freely admit that I am a sucker for sagas. Now, you don't need to tell me, but I am perfectly aware that many people out there (especially enginerds) consider sagas to have a different sort of sucking action in terms of horribleness (ahem, "This sucks!" -- which is funny because you could also say, "This blows!" and mean the same thing). I am not one of these... well, they're kind of sheep, in a way, following what everyone else thinks and sadly not always seeing one for Themselves. Anyway, to put things into perspective: many, many television series are sagas by definition. Just think about the content and longevity of some of your favourites.
Okay okay, the thing is, I also happen to have a thing for historical romances.
gasp!
It's funny how when most people hear these two words together, you can just feel the collective recoil from the world. I find that the general assumption made right after this reaction (approximately 2.4 milliseconds later) is that the Liker must therefore be interested Only in this Taboo Genre. Ewwww! Now folks, please keep an open mind here because I'm going to tell you something that may free you from the anti-saga sheep of the world: I happen to like all sorts of other genres. (mini-gasp!) Action. Adventure. Comedy. Sci-Fi or Fantasy. Animated. Whatever! I may not be too picky overall but I am perfectly aware of what I like. So don't put ideas into your head.
Hmm, is it more geeky or girly to like these 19-century type novels or movies? Considering the fact that I am, in fact, a girl, it is perhaps not too inappropriate for me to appreciate a good piece of olde script. I am more inclined to think it's geeky because of this, but perhaps I'm a little biased.
Actually, it's kind of funny looking back on some of the movies I've watched with my parents over the years. My dad and I loved watching Schwartzenegger movies with lots of things blowing up and all the gadgets and whizzing around and the intrigue and the rrrraaaawwwrrrr...! But another night my mum and I would just as easily become engrossed in the latest Jane Austen fifteen-part mini-series and we'd be all weepy and saying "I can't believe that scoundrel!" about the character we've seen a hundred times in at least three other versions of the same story...
The funny thing is, neither of my parents can stand watching the other type of movie. I'm not sure where my tastes came from but I like to think I got the best of both worlds. (Again, I may be a little biased.)
Anyway, as a parting gift on these musings, here's a bit of a twist for the uninitiated (or disenthused), courtesy of an admirably open-minded guy I know: Yes, in the end, the girl always gets the guy and off they go into the sunset, yadda yadda yadda. Just keep in mind -- the guy always gets the girl.
Okay okay, the thing is, I also happen to have a thing for historical romances.
gasp!
It's funny how when most people hear these two words together, you can just feel the collective recoil from the world. I find that the general assumption made right after this reaction (approximately 2.4 milliseconds later) is that the Liker must therefore be interested Only in this Taboo Genre. Ewwww! Now folks, please keep an open mind here because I'm going to tell you something that may free you from the anti-saga sheep of the world: I happen to like all sorts of other genres. (mini-gasp!) Action. Adventure. Comedy. Sci-Fi or Fantasy. Animated. Whatever! I may not be too picky overall but I am perfectly aware of what I like. So don't put ideas into your head.
Hmm, is it more geeky or girly to like these 19-century type novels or movies? Considering the fact that I am, in fact, a girl, it is perhaps not too inappropriate for me to appreciate a good piece of olde script. I am more inclined to think it's geeky because of this, but perhaps I'm a little biased.
Actually, it's kind of funny looking back on some of the movies I've watched with my parents over the years. My dad and I loved watching Schwartzenegger movies with lots of things blowing up and all the gadgets and whizzing around and the intrigue and the rrrraaaawwwrrrr...! But another night my mum and I would just as easily become engrossed in the latest Jane Austen fifteen-part mini-series and we'd be all weepy and saying "I can't believe that scoundrel!" about the character we've seen a hundred times in at least three other versions of the same story...
The funny thing is, neither of my parents can stand watching the other type of movie. I'm not sure where my tastes came from but I like to think I got the best of both worlds. (Again, I may be a little biased.)
Anyway, as a parting gift on these musings, here's a bit of a twist for the uninitiated (or disenthused), courtesy of an admirably open-minded guy I know: Yes, in the end, the girl always gets the guy and off they go into the sunset, yadda yadda yadda. Just keep in mind -- the guy always gets the girl.
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