Ramblings About My Writing Process & Some Link Love

I couldn't help but laugh reading Po's blog post this morning - she's chatting about crime in her area and mentions that she's been thinking about moving back to SA from the UK. Oh, the irony of a South African being pushed to come home to escape crime! That's just too funny. Not that it's the only reason Po wants to come home.....

As for me, I seem to be spending a lot of time emailing people - not just for BizTeech Africa stuff, but also for my work. Have 3 books that I need to upload to make them available online, but the PDF docs are too big for the web site, and the publisher said the copies I have are the lowest resolution they have. Ho hum! I'm going to have to sort the issue out SOON, because Soul Beat Africa is going to do another HIV & AIDS edition and they plan to link to the books. And I don't want the same disaster I had with the YouTube uploads ( I never did manage to find out why YouTube was rejecting the short films!)

I actually need to set aside some writing time. That is, time that is completely dedicated to drafting and editing copy, with no research, emailing people, interviewing them or even going online involved. I have a lot of stuff that I need to write ( work and my own creative stuff) but there seems to be so many little publishing, promotion and admin stuff that I need to do that the writing process is somehow being pushed back. Which is not good, because ultimately, my work is about writing.

Some interesting stories & links

Anyhoo, check out some posts that I either wrote, or came across while online:

Your Views: Should Couples Tell Each Other About Past Wrongs
Basically, this is a short compilation of some interesting comments from readers when I asked the question. You can still join in by leaving a comment here, on at the site.

Is working from home really cheaper?

This piece by LaToya Irby was published on All Freelance Writing, and looks at the cost of telecommuting. For example, the utility bills go up, you spend more money on food ( seeing you're at home more) and you have to buy your own office supplies. My own phone bill skyrocketed, I'm now responsible for my ADSL and wireless connection costs ( which we know in SA is no small thing) and am responsible for keeping my PC and laptop in good working condition. Anyway, check out this piece; it's really good.

I'm also sad that my friend Laura is closing down Female2female. I understand why she has to do it - she already has a demanding and thriving blog ( HarassedMom), work and family responsibilities, and she's moving into a new house with her partner. But I loved Female2Female, and think there is a need for the kind of content and conversations that were held there. So I will miss it.

And many thanks to author Judy Croome for the heads up about the Notes From Underground,the Literary Lab's Second Annual Contest

"The title [of the competition] comes from a novella by Fyodor Dostoyevsky that is part rambling narrative and part story. It's a piece of writing that is both highly experimental and deeply personal. For the contest, we want you writers to feel that same freedom of expression, taking out the judging process to the best of our ability."

Check out the competition rules.