Platform Challenge, Days 7 & 8

Happy Easter!  I am satisfied after a nice family dinner and I’m tired after a nice long walk to work off some of the extra calories I ate but I’m thankful for what I consider a very nice Easter holiday.

So today, I’m posting just because rather than about anything in particular. 

I know what you’re thinking…I’m slacking from the Platform Challenge.  Well, I’m taking a break, sort of, only because I’m opting out when I choose to do so.  I posted yesterday with regard to our task for Day 6 of the Platform Challenge but so that I do reveal what my tasks were for both Day 7 and Day 8, here they are:

Day 7 was to add share buttons to our blog by using a particular site at www.addthis.com – while they might offer some analytics that I might enjoy accessing, for now I’m happy with what Blogger offers me so I’m sticking with the status quo for now. 

Day 8 was to create a LinkedIn profile.  I’m opting out of this task for the same reason I decided to wait on creating a Twitter account.  I may change my mind before the 30 days are up but for now I’m happy managing what I have while I also work on my book projects.

Now, I’d like to share with you are few sights I saw over the weekend.  I thought I’d share with photos too.

First, meet Spunky…my mother-in-law’s new dog.  I hope I got his name right…I kept confusing him by calling him Spunky, Sparky and also Chunky (his old name).

I met him for the first time yesterday and after circling around me for about five minutes, he finally warmed up to me and sat in my lap only to fall asleep.  I generally like big dogs better than small ones but his personality warmed my heart and the fact that he’s become such a good companion for my mother-in-law makes him very special in my book.

Here’s a side shot of his Mohawk…for some reason he reminds me of a Gremlin.

This next shot is what I love to see during the spring…blossoms galore.  This is a tree/plant farm near our family’s farm and I’ve always been partial to the pink blossoms.



Blossoms in Bloom

Spending time with loved ones is even better when they reside in an area with awesome views.  Here’s a shot of our State Capital:

WA State Capital

And here is one of Mt. Rainier, although the clouds above made the view a bit hazy and not as clear as it might be otherwise:


Mt. Rainier

As I said earlier, my day ended with a nice long walk after dinner.  The trails were nice, unobstructed and well-maintained.  I truly appreciate the time and effort someone has put into these walking trails.  When the trails were made, they kept in mind that hills can get tricky so these steps were a nice addition. 

I hope you enjoyed your day.  I’ll be back for more serious writing tomorrow.

Platform Challenge, Day 6

I am a day late in posting the task for Day 6 of the Platform Challenge but I have a very good reason.  Yesterday was a work day, of course, but after work my husband took me out to dinner and there is no way I’m saying no to a night out with my husband.  Since he too started a new job recently and his days off do not always match my own, we have to take advantage of whatever time together we can squeeze out of any given week.

You might wonder why I didn’t get right on the computer when we arrived home after dinner but going to dinner is just the beginning to a night out.  Once we arrive home we don’t separate and do our own thing, me on the computer and he in front of the television in his recliner…I’m glad to say after being together for 25 years we still like spending time together.  No, we take advantage of the time we have and we do something we’ve done ever since the very first day we ever met…

We play games.

I’m sure that’s exactly what you were thinking - I’ll give you a minute to get your mind out of the gutter.

Seriously, we love to play games, whether it’s cribbage, Mario Kart, cards, pool, board games, it doesn’t matter.  We both love to compete.  The very first day I ever met my soon-to-be husband was while I was playing a game of pool and he instantly fell in love with me when he saw I could shoot bank shots (I’m not joking).  I don’t think he realized at the time just how competitive I was when he challenged me to a game…can you guess who won? 

So I took the night off from writing but now I’m ready to get back to it.  The task for Day 6 was to read a blog post that spoke to us and then leave a thoughtful comment on it.  I scoured the list of blogs I read regularly and semi-regularly and I have to admit, none of them jumped out at me or really spoke to me…

Until I read Dale Mayer’s blog post on Magical Musings titled Easter – a new beginning!

Why did this particular post strike me when others did not? 

It wasn’t about writing, or building my platform, or how to finally finish editing my book.  It was about change and Easter and what this time means for you.

Dale spoke of the fact that changes in her life seem to always happen around Easter, for one reason or another.  Due to that fact, she looks at this time of year as a time to reflect on how she is doing with regard to her plans, her goals and her dreams.   

When Dale spoke about how the biggest changes seem to happen to her around Easter, she made me think about all the change that has occurred for me and my family the past six months…I have a new job, my husband has a new job, my oldest son has a new job and is also attending college, I wrote a book, I started a second book, and I created my blog.  The changes have been good but the varying schedules have been difficult to get used to for all of us.  I have never really been good with change and I’ve done my best to alter my attitude about change but this weekend hit a new nerve. 

What nerve could be struck during what should be such a pleasant holiday weekend? 

It was disappointment and even sadness when I realized my husband would not be celebrating Easter with me and the boys for the first time in 19 years.  It has been a traditional holiday for us and for the first time in my boys’ life, their dad will not celebrate the holiday with us because he has to work.  A new job means new hours.  The boys are old enough to understand but for me, it is a huge change in our routine for this holiday and not one I was taking lightly.

But then Dale went on to remind us that life is what we make it.  I could be miserable about the change and show my sadness about the fact that my husband was not spending the holiday with us or I could suck it up and enjoy the fact that I still get to spend the morning with my boys and the afternoon with family members who I enjoy spending time with. 

It’s all in the attitude and how you show your appreciation for what you have been given, rather than showing disappointment for what you feel has been taken from you.

How about you?  Have you read something recently that struck a chord when you least expected?  Did it cause you to seriously review your attitude towards anything in particular?  If so, share the post, whether it’s here or with others through your own social media.  You never know who else might appreciate it.

Platform Challenge, Day 5

After feeling tired from a day at the office, I’m now beginning to catch my second wind.  I think it helps that the light coming through my home office window is a wonderful bright glow, what you get just before or just after a big rain storm comes through.  We had some rain but what we also had was quite a hail storm.  It was an enjoyable sight, really, as I watched the hail hit the ground and bounce continuously like little rubber balls.  Even now, as I glance outside, the ground is still covered in white.  But what I also see down the road are some nasty looking clouds…it would appear the bright glow may soon disappear in place of more rain. 

So I’m betting you have no clue what today’s platform challenge might be, correct? 

Well, it wasn’t to give you a weather update, I can assure you.

Today I can actually say the challenge was a breeze.  (Sorry, couldn’t help yet another reference to weather.)  Why was it so easy?  Because the task for today was to create a blog!  I already have my blog up and running so now, rather than work at creating a blog, I get to actually create a blog post.

If this is your first time visiting my blog, let me introduce myself…I am a writer, a mother, a wife, a legal assistant, a private investigator (no joke), and after a few months at the task I feel I can also call myself a blogger.  I finished writing my first book the end of last year and while I continue to work on editing that book I am also writing a second book.  I began my blog on New Year’s Eve when I finally decided to let the cat out of the bag about my interest in writing and becoming a published author.  Not many knew my secret about wanting to be a writer but even fewer knew I was actually working on a book.  This blog was a way of putting myself out there and it was also put in place to help me remain accountable to the schedule and the goals I still hope to achieve.

I will admit to a huge amount of fear at putting myself out there with a blog.  Now everyone could follow along with me as I continued on my journey as a writer.  Of course, all the thoughts in my head weren’t, What will I do if I succeed? How will I manage my new life as a famous author?  No, those thoughts weren’t even close.  It was more like, What if I fail?  What if I go through all this and can’t even publish a book?  What if no one likes the way I write?  What if no one likes my blog?

Ugh!  Fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of not being liked…they are all feelings I wish we could completely ignore.

There is a great quote by Steven Spielberg… “I had to get over my fear of running through the world naked and learn to say, ‘take me or leave.’”

And Spielberg is right.  Do what you love to do, even at the risk of exposing too much of yourself.  If others don’t like it, don’t let that deter you.  I decided not to let the fear of the “what if’s” hold me back so I posted my first blog, put myself out there and kept on writing.

And then the day job came along…

Writing is not an easy task when you have other obligations throughout the day but I was self-employed and was able to manage my time on the job and at my desk writing so that I could spend an adequate amount of time on each.  I have been self-employed as a private investigator working in criminal defense for over 12 years but then life threw a curve ball and changes had to be made.  A job became available with a group who I had already been working with and I decided it would be beneficial to accept the position.  Taking the full-time office job meant my writing schedule would be greatly affected but I have continued to remain focused and very goal-oriented.  While the past six weeks on the new schedule have taken some getting used to, I have done a fairly good job at mapping out a new writing schedule and sticking with it.

So there you have it.  I am a writer, an aspiring author, some might call me a dreamer or say my head is in the clouds, but if you read my very first post, When Dreams Wake You Up, or my follow-up post, Don’tlet Life rule your Passion, you will see why I stopped dreaming and woke up so that I could fulfill my dreams and finally do what it is I completely enjoy.

Platform Challenge, Day 4

Day 4 of the challenge will be my first hiccup. 

What do I mean by that? 

If you’ve read my first three posts about the platform challenge, you’ve seen how good I’ve been about getting the tasks done.  They took some time and some thought but they were tasks I found to be helpful as I attempt to follow Brewer’s advice on platform building.

However, I don’t always do what I’ve been told to do.

That trait comes with age, experience, a defiant personality…whatever you want to call it.  It might also have something to do with the fact that I’m an Aries.

But that’s beside the point.

I’ve decided to skip tonight’s task because the task is to create a Twitter account.  I don’t use Twitter and I never have.  To create an account now would be like buying myself a new set of golf clubs…neither would ever get used! 

As much as I want to stay on task with the platform building challenge, this task will have to wait until I feel comfortable using a Twitter account, should that day ever occur.

So I’m taking the night off from platform building tasks but I’ll be back again tomorrow to see what day 5 of the challenge has in store for me.

Good night everyone.

Platform Challenge, Day 3

I’ve never blogged three days in a row…this challenge is doing wonders for me or it’s going to completely wear me out, I’m not quite sure.  As long as you don’t get tired of reading what I have to say, I guess it’ll be okay.

Now that doesn’t mean I’ll continue to blog every day, even to keep up with this challenge but my intent is to finish the platform challenge Robert Brewer threw at us and daily blogging may be what it takes.  I don’t want to get too far behind on the tasks because I might not be able to catch up.

So, what’s the task for today?  I am happy to say the task was so easy I didn’t have to lift a finger.  Well, I guess I had to lift my finger(s) just to type this post so it has taken some effort but the task itself was easy…

We just had to create a Facebook page. 

Mine is already done! 

Brewer suggests having a public Facebook page.  Why?  He believes we should be easy to locate and easy to contact.  Eventually, as writers, he’s hoping that we become worth contacting.  I’ll argue that I’m worth contacting now, but I guess that’s besides the professional point of view.

Regardless of what Brewer suggests, I don’t want to make my Facebook page public.  My Facebook page is for me, my family and my friends.  I guess its possible Brewer may be asking us to create a completely separate Facebook page for our writing.  Well…shoot!  I bet that’s what he meant!

I’ll be right back…

Okay, I’m back.  Here I thought I had the night off from working at another task after what has already been a very long day.  I’m not sure I want yet another account to manage but I’ve completed the task and created a new Facebook page (using the new Timeline; not sure yet if I like it).  This will be a public page just for writing so you can find me under Paula J Howell.  I’m not sure how much I’ll post on a regular basis but for any newbie writers and authors out there, I’d love to network with you so find me, like me and post on my page.  I’d enjoy hearing what challenges you have faced and what you have been able to accomplish.

Thanks for tagging along with me as I participate in this challenge.  Until tomorrow…

Platform Challenge, Day 2

Day 2 of the platform challenge is to set your goals, both in the short-term and the long term.  One of my main goals is fairly obvious…I wish to finish editing my book and get it published and then I wish to finish my second book and get that one published and so on and so on.

It’s pretty straight forward as far as I’m concerned.

But what would I list when it comes to both short-term and long-term goals?

Well, first off, you might wonder what difference this makes when it comes to the platform challenge.  In his post for Day 2 of the April Platform Challenge, Robert Brewer maintains that defining and creating goals are important steps in platform development and that a successful platform strategy should communicate who you are and get you to where you would like to be.

That’s a fair statement, don’t you think?

He also says: if you don’t have any goals then you don’t have any direction or purpose for your platform.

I also agree with that statement, not only when it comes to platform building but in all aspects of life.  Without goals it is difficult to find direction or purpose.

So what are my short-term goals?  Well, to complete this challenge, for one.  To get through my birthday this month without having any negative thoughts about what goals I wish I had reached by this time already.  To finish the very last edit I hope to ever have to take part in on my first book so that I can move towards publishing this summer.  To plant another garden this year and find the time to tend it so the weeds don’t take control.  To finish with my second book so it too can move towards publishing by the end of the summer.

Based on my short-term goals, it appears I’ll be very busy this summer!

What are my long-term goals?  To have a number of books written and published.  To be able to spend more time writing and less time working.  To see both of my sons live a good life as they move on towards whatever goals they hope to accomplish in life.   To enjoy life and know that whatever I’ve done, I’ve done well.  And last but certainly not least, to grow old with my husband. 

I don’t think that’s too much to ask, is it?  There are many goals you can strive for and hope to accomplish – some you may have control over, some you may not.  Either way, it doesn’t hurt to have tunnel vision when you have goals in mind.  You just have to remember that sometimes you may come up to a fork or a “T” in the road and whether you take another path or stay the course, if your goals are squarely centered and you keep control of your focus, you will eventually get there... even if it takes a detour or two.

A Platform Challenge I’ll Accept

I have decided to take on a challenge offered by another blogger so bear with me if I post odd bits and pieces here on my blog throughout the month of April.  The challenge is called the April Platform Challenge and the challenger is Robert Lee Brewer, Senior Content Editor with Writer’s Digest Community and the author of the blog My Name is Not Bob. 

Why am I taking the challenge?  Well, Robert’s intention is a good one…he hopes to help writers build their online platforms and he has offered this month-long challenge in an attempt to do just that.

Plus, there’s a prize.

What’s the prize?  Don’t get your hopes up, it’s not money.  It’s a book.  But not just any book.  It’s the 2012 Writer’s Market Deluxe Edition edited by none other than Robert Lee Brewer himself.  From the way Robert describes the book, it will be a very handy resource for someone such as myself.

But if I don’t win the book, that’s okay.  The real prize is what might happen should this challenge do what Robert hopes…help writers build their platforms.

So I may post to my blog whatever challenge has been given to us for the day – yes, he’s asking us to do something every single day – but since I only post three times a week, what you’ll see might be daily posts, or they may be sporadic as I share only the ones I wish to share or they may be thrown at you in bulk as I try to play catch up.  I guess it’ll be interesting to see what happens as I have no clue what types of tasks Robert will request of us the rest of this month.

I will post here the first task of the challenge, which you would think at first glance should not be too difficult.  However, if you aren’t used to talking about yourself or having to describe yourself, it is more difficult than you can imagine. 

The first task was this - Day 1:  Define yourself. 

Here goes…

Name:  Paula J Howell

Position:  Legal Assistant with public defender’s office, self-employed private investigator, writer aspiring to become published, editor/writer for local sports booster club, and blogger.

Skills:  creative, organized, investigations, report writing, interviewing, newsletters, multitasking, and crafts by hand of all sorts.

Social media platforms:  Blogger, Facebook

URLs:  http://paulajhowell.blogspot.com/

Accomplishments:  I put myself through college; I worked as a legal assistant at a law firm for 9 years before branching out to get my license and open my own business as a private investigator; I have owned and operated my own P.I. business, specializing in criminal defense for 12 years; I’m still a defense investigator but am now also working full time as a legal assistant with the public defender’s office; I have raised two wonderful boys; I met and married my soul mate (I wish this for everyone) and after 25 years the love is still strong; I finished my first book in 4 months after making the decision to finally put my ideas on paper (but I’m still editing the darn thing); and I’m also now working on my second book.

Interests:  my family, writing, reading, scrapbooking, photography, gardening, my dogs, birds, road trips, and the little things in life we sometimes overlook in this fast-paced world.

In one sentence, who am I?  I am a wife and a mother who currently works as a legal assistant with the public defender’s office but who is also a licensed P.I. on the side as well as a writer and blogger in the leftover hours of the day who is attempting to build a platform while aspiring to become published.

That one sentence is quite a mouthful but it pretty much says it all. 

If you had to describe yourself, would it be easy or difficult?  Would you appreciate the positives of what you have accomplished or would it make you see the areas in your life where you’d like to accomplish more? 

Try it and see what you come up with.

And if you are a writer or you are trying to build your own online platform, be sure to check out Robert’s blog and get in on the challenge yourself!