Crazy for Words

Laura Stack's SUPERCOMPETENT

Crazy for Words — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 14:05:07 GMT

Doing some research this week, I ran across Laura Stack's SuperCompetent: The Six Keys to Perform at Your Productive Best. It's a good reference if you want to see where you are on the competency spectrum. There is an assessment in the first chapter.

Stack defines the key areas as: Activity, Availability, Attention, Accessibility, Accountability, and Attitude. She divides the book up by these and focuses on the skills and attributes of each.

Her book has good insight to help define the difference between busyness and productivity. She also has good references throughout and at the end of her book. Here are some of my favorites...

Cool Tech Gadgets...

Crazy for Words — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:00:06 GMT

Did you watch "The Big Bang Theory" last night? I loved Raj's experience with Siri! Check out these other cool gadgets.

Happy Friday!

Slush Pile Hell - Some Fun Reading...

Crazy for Words — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:56:28 GMT

Take a break on this lovely Friday and check out Slush Pile Hell. It's full of sample query letters and the agent's comments. I'm just glad that none of mine were listed.

Happy Friday! Keep writing!

What I Learned...

Crazy for Words — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:45:22 GMT

Here's are seven things I learned from Meredith Cole, Mary Burton, and Ellery Adams. They put on a great panel for writers at the Sisters in Crime - Central Virginia meeting in January.

1. Go to writing conferences.

2. Write every day. No excuses!

3. Choose your other creative projects carefully (especially ones that take away from your writing time).

4. Do your research before submitting to agents.

5. Writing is a business. Be professional!

6. Persistence is as important as talent.

7. Save some of your first advance to market yourself.

(l-r: Mary Burton, Ellery Adams, and Meredith Cole)

Developing Leadership Talent - Berke, et al.

Crazy for Words — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:31:20 GMT

I ran across Developing Leadership Talent when I was doing some research last week. It's by David Berke, Michael Kossler, and Michael Wakefield.

It's a good reference for hiring and developing leaders within your organization. One emphasis is that you need to create a way for "recruiting and retaining high-quality talent." And that is key with today's unique labor market.

Their six most important leadership strengths are (p. 56):

1. Leading People
2. Strategic Planning
3. Resourceful
4. Being a Quick Learner
5. Inspiring Commitment
6. Participative Management

There is a great deal of information on writing competencies for job performances. I like that they stress that competencies/goals needs to be written in behavior terms. It makes them much easier to review and evaluate later.

The text has a lot of sample worksheets and checklists which are helpful if you're looking to incorporate some changes in your management processes. They also have a great appendix with a detailed Leadership Competency List and a Profile Tool.

I also liked their 10 Key Job Challenges That Stimulate Learning (p. 60):

1. Unfamiliar Responsibilities
2. New Directions
3. Inherited Problems
4. Problems with Employees
5. High Stakes
6. Scope and Scale (Size of Effort)
7. External Pressure
8. Influence without Authority
9. Work across Cultures
10. Work Group Diversity

Learning is key to finding and developing good talent. The book also stresses the importance of relationships.

This is a good reference for hiring managers, HR folks, or folks looking for management positions.

Eoin Colfer's PLUGGED

Crazy for Words — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:51:38 GMT

Eoin Colfer is a new-to-me crime thriller writer. Now, I've got to find some of his other mysteries.

If you like gritty, crime thrillers with a strong and slightly damaged protagonist, you'll love Plugged. It reminds me of historic hardboiled detective fiction.

Daniel McEvoy is an ex-soldier in the Irish military who has drifted from job to job after his service. At the beginning of the novel, he's a bouncer at a sleazy casino in New Jersey. When one of the hostesses is murdered after a confrontation with a client and his friend, a back-room doctor, goes missing, McEvoy runs a foul of the Irish mafia, drug dealers, slimy lawyers, and bent police officers. And McEvoy bumps into some interesting fringe characters.

"Plugged" takes on all kinds of meanings throughout the novel. And this book has the funniest Rottweiler scene. I'm glad that the dog ended up on the winning side. (I have a soft spot for literary dogs.)

Happy reading!

Copyediting - Great Website for Writers

Crazy for Words — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 20:37:07 GMT

Check out Copyediting. It's a great website. You can subscribe to the blog for email updates. There are wonderful tips for writers (and technical writers). Thanks, Jeb for the link!

Jax Invade the Beach

Crazy for Words — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:30:36 GMT

We took the Jax (4 including my sister's) to the Outer Banks of North Carolina for New Year's. We were fortunate. It was in the mid-60s for most of the week, so we enjoyed spring-like temperatures in December and January.

The pups got their first beach experience. They enjoyed long runs in the sand and digging for sand fiddlers. They also climbed the dunes at Jockey's Ridge and barked at the hangliders. And they were the only ones who enjoyed the four flights of steps in the beach house. They turned the stairs into a racetrack.

I hope you had a wonderful holiday season! Best wishes for 2012!

"Yes, we do want to go for a walk!"

Riley at Jockey's Ridge.

The Jax take the beach at OBX.

Tig and Riley between naps.

Can this be true?

Crazy for Words — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:08:31 GMT

I heard this on the way home yesterday from work, and I had to go back and read the blog posting. Americans make up HALF of the WORLD's richest 1%. That changes the whole meaning of the 99 vs 1%.

I was stunned. Read Jack Cafferty's post. And it takes only $34K to be among the world's richest.

Even with all of the problems and strife, America is truly blessed. I hope we don't take it for granted.

SinC-CV Author Panel - January 21 - Bon Air Library

Crazy for Words — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:02:42 GMT

The Sisters in Crime - Central Virginia chapter is hosting an author's panel on Saturday, January 21 at 11:00 AM at the Bon Air Library in Chesterfield, Virginia. Authors Meredith Cole, Mary Burton, and Ellery Adams will talk about developing and selling your mystery.

Email me if you want more details.

Richard Yancey's THE HIGHLY EFFECTIVE DETECTIVE

Crazy for Words — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 14:17:17 GMT

Richard Yancey has an interesting sleuth in The Highly Effective Detective, set in Knoxville, Tennessee. His protagonist, Teddy Ruzak, is a night security guard until he inherits money from his mother's estate, and he decides to become a PI. He hires his favorite waitress from a local diner to be his secretary. He has no business or investigative experience.

Ruzak is unusual in that he has no confidence, no police skills, and not much success in his life. He became a security guard when he washed out of the police academy. Despite all of the strikes against him, he manages to land two cases and solve each in the end.

He waxes long and gets philosophical at times. If you can get past this, the novel has some interesting characters and a few funny spots.

I also read The Highly Effective Detective Goes to the Dogs. (I'm a sucker for mysteries with dogs.) Ruzak is in pretty much the same state as the first mystery. The state of Tennessee shuts him down for not having a PI license. He meets a goth girl at the animal shelter, and he eventually adopts a dog that is infatuated with the secretary's son. In this novel, the second in the series, Ruzak discovers a dead body in the alley. He has no paying client, but he spends the novel solving the crime when the police think they have their man. By the end, he has to pass the next PI exam, or he's out of business permanently.

The characters are interesting. I've never read a mystery with a sleuth quite like this before.

Happy holidays!

Merry Christmas!

Crazy for Words — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 14:55:36 GMT

"I bring you good news of great joy for everyone! The Savior - yes, the Messiah, the Lord - has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David!"
Luke 2:11

Merry Christmas! I hope you have a safe and joyous holiday season!

MICRO - Crichton & Preston

Crazy for Words — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:27:40 GMT

I loved Michael Crichton's Micro. I couldn't put it down. It was also bittersweet. I'm glad that Richard Preston completed it, and I'm sorry that it's the last Michael Crichton novel. (I'm hoping another will turn up somewhere.)

This one is set in Hawaii, and it reminds me of his novel Timeline. Seven graduates students agree to take a tour of a lab in Hawaii, and they encounter a ruthless megalomaniac who wants to win at all costs. His company has taken nanotechnology to a whole new world. And he sends the students there to make sure that they don't thwart his plans.

The book is exciting, and it's fast paced. There are some surprises and twists in the plot. I definitely look at bugs differently now. And the bat scenes were a little creepy (but I'm not their biggest fan).

It's fun a holiday read.

Garr Reynolds' PRESENTATION ZEN

Crazy for Words — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:16:13 GMT

I read the rough cut of Garr Reynold's Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery. If you have to make presentations (or you've suffered through PowerPoint poisoning), you need to read this.

Guy Kawasaki does the forward for this, and he writes it in a series of PPT slides. It's very creative.

This text is "an approach and not a method." Your slides should reinforce your words not repeat them. I love how Reynolds reminds his readers that "preparing a presentation is an act of creativity." So often, the slideshow is thrown together at the last minute (and it often shows). A slide show shouldn't be a report for the audience to read. It is supposed to enhance what the speaker is saying.

Reynolds also recommends that you review each slide with an elevator test. Can you tell someone about it completely in 30-45 seconds. You should look at each slide and say "so what." If it doesn't relate or it's out of place, get rid of it. He says to simplify (not dumb down).

I love the quotes and the photos that he references in the book (most of the pictures come from Stock Photo websites).

Here are my two favorites...

"Be here now. Be someplace else later."

"Every word that is unnecessary only pours over the side of brimming mind."

This is one worth adding to your collection. Happy holiday! I hope you have some time off to recharge and be creative!

Holiday Tasks with the Jax

Crazy for Words — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 17:40:47 GMT

It's been sixteen years since we had a Jack Russell puppy. I've forgotten (or suppressed) what it's like, and now we're experiencing our first Christmas season with two spunky critters.

I bought a toy for one of the kids that has a motion sensor in it. I couldn't figure out how to turn the "demo" feature off without destroying the box. Every time we walk past the box, it jiggles and makes a series of noises. Riley has made it his goal to destroy this invader. I thought wrapping it would help, but the sensor works through the paper. I've had to lock it in the guest room for its own protection. I'm wondering how this is going to go on Christmas morning when this thing gets released from the box. Hopefully, it's not all-out war.

The two pups are curious, and wrapping presents was an adventure. They love to shred the scrap paper on the floor. They divide and conquer. While, I'm dealing with one, the other's in the bow box wreaking havoc. Disney licked the tape roll rendering several inches no longer sticky. Riley ate at least one of the cardboard tags. He also stole one of the cardboard tubes. I found it partially mangled under the guest bed.

Even with all that energy and the extra clean up tasks they created, I finally finished. Everything's wrapped and ready to go. And now everyone's napping again with visions of Milk Bones in their little heads.

Kathryn Stockett's THE HELP

Crazy for Words — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 17:06:34 GMT

I love books about the south and books about writing. It took me a while to get to this one on my reading list, but it was worth it. You need to put Kathryn Stockett's The Help on your reading list.

The novel is about the dichotomies of rich/poor, black/white, and male/female. It's about the invisible lines we as a society draw about what should and shouldn't be. The novel is set in Jackson, Mississippi in the early 1962s. It chronicles the goings on of a group of society friends and the shadow society of their maids and household help.

As I was reading it, I was drawing parallels to the social commentary in To Kill a Mockingbird, and old English major habits die hard. I had two or three thesis ideas before I finished.

Her characters are funny at times, redeeming, trapped by circumstance and propriety, and a few are just mean because they can be.

"Change begins with a whisper."

Put this one on your holiday list, or better yet, buy a copy for a friend.

Jacks are back...Getting Ready for Christmas

Crazy for Words — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 14:27:04 GMT

I got the bright idea to have a picture made with holiday outfits. This was the first attempt at modeling the new threads. The Jacks were not enthusiastic about their holiday finery. Disney looked mortified. Riley liked sporting the hoodie for about five minutes. (Jacks have short attention spans.)

We've got other holiday tasks to work on today. I'm not sure how they'll react to the tree and the yard ornaments. It could be an interesting afternoon. Last year, Tig barked at the lighted Christmas deer when he noticed them (after they'd been up for three or four days). He's almost 16, so we cut him some slack on the guard dog duties.

All of the holiday activities were too much to deal with. They've all found a sunspot for a Thursday morning nap...

Janet Evanovich's EXPLOSIVE EIGHTEEN

Crazy for Words — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 13:54:56 GMT

Reading Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum mysteries is one of my guilty pleasures. Like with Grisham, I don't put them all in the good pile, but this one is worth the read. It starts out with a couple of mysteries that land the New Jersey bail enforcement officer in hot water after she returns from a dream vacation in Hawaii.

All the regular favorites make an appearances. (Grandma Mazur is my favorite.) Her characters are zany, and her heroine's quirkiness gets her into some sticky situations with her sidekick Lula. My edition came with a pull-out calendar, premarked with important days like "Dress up your pet" day and "National Doughnut" day. I love getting free stuff.

Evanovich's "One for the Money" is being released in theatres at the end of January. It should be interesting to see how her sleuth translates to the silver screen.

Happy reading!

Carson Morton's STEALING MONA LISA

Crazy for Words — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 13:29:34 GMT

Carson Morton bases his STEALING MONA LISA on real events from the beginning of last century. He's fictionalized many of the players in the great art theft at the Louvre.

It's a fun mystery set in the early 1900s. Morton's conmen bump into an attractive pickpocket who later aids them in scams and eventually the art heist. They bounce all over Europe, North America, and South America selling "stolen" works of art.

There are mysteries swirling around the characters and their crimes, as well as the art heists. This is one that you don't want to put down.

The Mona Lisa has been popping up a lot lately this week. This week's "Decoded" on the History channel was about Leonardo da Vinci and the symbolism of the Mona Lisa. I'm fascinated with the painting, its history, and the theories/mysteries that crop up from time to time.

So check out "Decoded" and Morton's mystery for a fun way to spend a winter's evening.

Book Give-away - START SOMETHING THAT MATTERS

Crazy for Words — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 19:41:35 GMT

If you have ideas for service project, want to help people, or want to start your own business, you need to read Blake Mycoskie's Start Something That Matters. He has a unique business model.

This is about how he created TOMS. For every pair of shoes that's purchased, his company provides a free pair to someone who needs them. The company has also expanded from the original shoe mission. His company makes a difference, and he highlights other intriguing stories in the book.

His story is inspiring, and the book is packed with great resources.

Mycoskie's title is "Chief Shoe Giver." I love the creativity and the energy in the book. I also like that readers are encouraged to do something, even if it's small. Check out the TOMs website. They have some interesting ways to spread their mission.

Book Give-away...
Leave me a comment on this post (make sure that you include an email address, so I can contact you for a postal address) by 10:00 AM (EST) Friday, December 9 and let me know why I should send you the new copy of Start Something That Matters. Also list what types of volunteer or service projects that you do. The decision of the judging panel (me and the 3 Jack Russells) is final.

Have a great weekend!