book « Robin Writes

Are you a card-carrying member of a writers’ group? Well, actually, most don’t issue “cards,” per se, at least not the ones I know. Or, maybe, I just didn’t get one . . . hmmm.

But you SHOULD be a member. Of a group, somewhere. And there are many to choose from:

Some meet weekly; more often, once a month. Some only have events once a year, maybe twice. Others have different things going on each month. These, of course, are usually live groups versus Internet hangouts, which also have value.

And it’s important to belong to at least one—which of course depends on your needs—because writing is such a solitary pursuit. Although, if you were to look at my FB newsfeed (or maybe your own), you might think otherwise. Huh.

Writers’ groups have different purposes: to critique, to encourage, to provide a sounding board, to be social, to showcase members’ work. Which one(s) you choose is up to you. But, um, be choosy. It’s not quantity but quality that counts.

You want an active group(s). One(s) that give value. And, preferably, one(s) whose members have some talent. You know what I’m talking about . . . there are those groups who are filled with SPAM—and not only online groups . . .

Speaking of writers, another topic I want to briefly touch upon is this:

Stop marketing to other writers!

What? Yes, you heard me. Those “like for a like events” that promise more “likes” on FB? How many of those folks actually read your stuff? Don’t ask me, I have no idea. Sure, there’s value in networking, but be particular about who YOU follow. Twitter, too, can be a real SPAMfest.

In other words, the numbers don’t matter unless they translate into relationships or sales. Either/or.

You need to spend your time marketing to READERS. Pick your “ideal” reader and aim your promos to that one person—others, just like that ONE person, will soon find you.

Think about this:

You go to a conference, and an author shows you his book; he says he’ll buy yours if you buy his. Sweet—you got a sale! No, you didn’t. It’s a ploy, albeit an unknowing one. In effect, you traded books. Do him a favor: if you WANT TO READ that book, buy it. And review it, of course.

Which brings me back to the beginning—writers’ group(s) are essential for networking and feedback and socializing, but don’t make it a book exchange.

Are you healthy? Do you eat “right?” When SHTF, what are your plans for eating?

First, if you aren’t healthy now, it’s gonna be a lot tougher to get that way when things go south. You really need to start now, or even yesterday.

Me, I’m in reasonably good shape, although since I turned 50 I seem to be acquiring a few more injuries than usual. I burned myself with steam twice in the last month, then nearly again last night. Aside from a few arthritic aches and pains, my knees and back are holding up pretty well—then again, I’ve got this foot pain, sesamoiditis or metatarsalagia, take your pick. The initial treatments for both are about the same so I’m sure I’ll muddle through.

My weight is okay—who doesn’t want to lose a few pounds—and my strength is pretty decent. I’m working on both, and you’d be bored to tears if I kept updating any progress so I won’t. Besides, I have no advice other than eat right and exercise, and everyone knows that. Sorry, no shortcuts.

Now, these are the obvious things. What about internal health? And no, not going into mental health here—that’s called having the right stuff and you may not know if you have it or not until SHTF actually comes down. So good luck!

What do you eat? Seriously, think about it for a minute.

Every once in a while, I suppose you should take stock and write things down for a few days. You know, based on the USDA charts. Just to get an inkling. And remember when your kids were small? Didn’t the doc tell you that one day didn’t matter, but nutrition over a whole week was a better indicator? Keep that in mind.

What do I eat? Bacon. Of course. And granola, that I make myself. Lunch is usually either a salad or maybe something snacky, but most often it’s leftovers from the night before. For dinner we have meat, potatoes, vegetables. Sometimes dessert, but my guys have a sweet tooth and will eat sugar alone if that’s all there is—which is why I do make dessert. From scratch.

Case in point: at the store last week, the kid picked up a box cake mix and a can of frosting. I gave in, because I don’t make this stuff often even though the guys prefer it. Later, when I was mixing it up, I pointed out to the kid that when I make a cake, it has flour, sugar, eggs, leavening, vanilla, cocoa, butter. While this cake had those things too, it ALSO had a laundry list of additives and preservatives: 23 of them!

His response: Mom, you’re supposed to MAKE the cake, not READ THE BOX!

Are we bad eaters for having snarfed down that cake? No. Unless we did it every week. Then it could have consequences. Without going into all the latest food crazes, the more natural your food, the better it is for you. If I bake a cake, I know almost exactly what’s going into it and therefore what’s going in to ME.

All this to say you should eat for health, not fun. Not that it can’t be fun, or tasty, but the primary reason is to fuel our bodies. And, when SHTF is here, do remember what you like to eat and don’t invest in a stack of nasty-tasting stuff if it isn’t something you’d normally eat.

MREs are fine for an emergency, but don’t build your stock around them. Nutritious, lightweight, easy to prepare, yes. Have you read the labels? Just asking. Include seeds in that stockpile too. And maybe a pig. It’s hard to grow bacon in the garden . . .