Welcome to Lines from Linda (archives)!

All posts from Lines from Linda, the former blog of Linda Fulkerson, have been archived to this location.

Deadly Tornadoes Strike Close to Home

I signed up for the Blog 365, where we’re challenged to blog every day (except leap day) of 2008. So far, I’d had perfect attendance. But I didn’t blog yesterday. We lost our Internet connection when a squall line of deadly tornado-producing thunderstorms swept across our state and moved on into Tennessee and Kentucky. I hope I’ll get an excused absence from the Blog 365 powers that be.

Thirteen from Arkansas are confirmed dead, with dozens in the hospital. Nearly 30 were killed in our neighboring state of Tennessee. My daughter, a student at Lipscomb University in Nashville, spent several hours (at two different times) in the bowels of the science building while killer storms surrounded the city. After over 50 students at Union University in Jackson, Tenn., were injured, some trapped in their dorms, Lipscomb evacuated every dorm room as the storm system approached Nashville.

Our county suffered two losses. The town just west of us, Atkins, had at least three fatalities, and Clinton to our north, had wide-spread damage and at least one loss of life. Please keep all those who suffered loss of friends, family, and/or property in your prayers.

Do You Suffer from “Finishphobia”?

In the chapter titled, “How to Finish What You Start,” of David Fryxell’s book, Write Faster, Write Better, Fryxell offers a short quiz to determine whether or not you are phobic about finishing. Without plagiarizing his words, here’s the gist of his quiz:

1. Do you have half-finished projects lying around your house?
2. Make a list of projects you’ve completed in the past six months. Of projects you’ve started but that are still “works in progress.” Which list is longer?
3. Are you impulsive or driven?

To learn more about how to tune-up your “completion drive,” check out Fryxell’s book. That chapter goes on to give not only psychological explanations as to why we procrastinate, but offers a practical plan for getting past our hangups, therefore allowing us to complete those tasks that are nagging us and press onward toward success.

Remember, this is the book I accidentally purchased twice. Leave a comment this month on any of my blogs to have your name placed in a drawing for my extra copy. The drawing will take place February 29.

How ‘Bout Them Hogs?

The Arkansas Razorbacks took down two ranked teams this week, posting an impressive 20-point win over (No. 25) Mississippi State and chomping the (No. 20) Florida Gators 80-61 in a match where at one point, the Hogs held a 30-point advantage. The back-to-back beatings put the Razorbacks in a first-place tie (with Mississippi State) in the SEC Western Division.

Arkansas was the early favorite to win their division, but turnover troubles left them with losses against teams they should have been able to defeat. They seem to have that situation under control, evidenced in the Florida game where they had just 3 turnovers during the first half.

Phil’s Forecast

Phil’s official forecast as read 2/2/08 at sunrise at Gobbler’s Knob:

Here Ye! Here Ye! Here Ye!

On Gobbler’s Knob on this fabolous Groundhog Day, February 2nd, 2008
Punxsutawney Phil, the Seer of Seers, Prognosticator of all Prognosticators,
Rose to the call of President Bill Cooper and greeted his handlers, Ben Hughes and John Griffiths.

After casting a weathered eye toward thousands of his faithful followers,
Phil consulted with President Cooper and directed him to the appropriate scroll, which proclaimed:

“As I look around me, a bright sky I see, and a shadow beside me.
Six more weeks of winter it will be!”

Today in History…

The Battle Hymn of the Republic by Julia Ward Howe was first published by the Atlantic Monthly.

Write Faster, Write Better

You learn something new every day, I suppose. I recently learned to double check my shopping cart at Amazon.com before clicking the “check out” button. You see, I’d accidentally put two of the same book in my cart without realizing it, and now I own two copies. That’s good news for you, though, because first of all, it’s a great book, and second, I plan to give away the extra copy in a drawing the end of February from the names of all who leave a comment on my personal blog, my main web site, or Fiction Fundamentals site during February 2008. (Sorry, Spammers, but you don’t get your name put in the pot!)

The book, Write Faster, Write Better, by David Fryxell, is excellent for those who, like me, can find almost anything else to do besides actually write. Fryxell takes the lessons he learned from years of writing on a constant deadline in a 3-column-a-week job and presents them in a way that any writer, both fiction and nonfiction, can use. In fact, Fryxell’s book has special sections for nonfiction writers and novelists.

Whether you’re time-challenged, organizationally challenged, idea-challenged–whatever is keeping you from getting it done, Fryxell has a plan that can help you write faster and better. The book offers tips for overcoming writer’s block, disorganized writing, and even a spiel about overcoming “finishphobia” with tips on bringing your writing to a satisfying ending.

From the back cover:

Every writer has felt the pressure of a deadline. Writing is a challenge: there are the problems of getting started, feelings of writer’s block, and numerous interruptions lying between you and a finished piece. This book is your guide to getting through that obstacle course with success.

In Write Faster, Write Better, author and editor David A. Fryxell shares his secrets for writing faster while boosting your creativity and the quality of your work. He guides you step-by-step through the writing process to help you create a publishable manuscript in less time. You’ll learn how to:

• Organize your time, ideas, and files
• Find your focus
• Develop story-worthy ideas
• Think like an editor
• Use smart Internet search strategies
• Pull it all together to beat writer’s block
• Write faster fiction, nonfiction, scripts, and humor

Each chapter is full of rich examples to help you put Fryxell’s principles into practice. You’ll find specific exercises to help you start writing faster in your own work and overcome the challenges you face. Liberate yourself today with the proven techniques found inside Write Better, Write Faster.

My Dream Job…

Would be to become the CBO (Chief Basketball Officer) of Fans for the next year. In addition to the $100K annual salary, job perks include:

• a private jet to take me to my favorite conference tourneys
• VIP treatment at the elite conference tourney finals for my official introduction ceremony
• a new Alltel Hue by Samsung with changeable faceplates
• unlimited free calling to anyone, anywhere, at any time from Alltel Wireless (somehow I feel as though I’ve already paid Alltel enough to rate this one)
• bragging rights to my friends & family that I have the “coolest job ever”

Requirements for the job are:

• Registering for a free membership to FanU.com (Done)
• A love of college basketball (Check)
• An infectious personality that would make for a great CBO (no problem there)

The only thing now is to complete each week’s challenge & rack up as many points as possible on my FanU account. Then I can kick back and enjoy all the games I want.

Speaking of college basketball, a huge congrats goes out to the Arkansas Razorbacks upon their victory over Mississippi State, who entered tonight’s match undefeated in conference play. The Bulldogs still top the SEC Western division at 5-1, and the Hogs are next in line at 4-2.

Woooooooooo…Pig, Sooie!

Good Day for Literary Folks

January 29th was a pretty good “this day in history” in the world of wordsmiths. The Raven was first published on this day by the New York Evening Mirror (in 1845); Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet was first performed (1595); American Revolutionary leader and author of Common Sense Thomas Paine was born on this day (1737); plus, it’s Tom Selleck’s birthday.

If you’re wondering what Tom Selleck has to do with the literary world, then you obviously weren’t a teenage girl during the 1980s. I was only a teenager for one year of that decade, but hey, that was long enough to fall in love with Magnum PI.

Happy Birthday, Tom!

Happy Birthday!

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”

If you recognize that line, you may be interested to know that not only is today my daughter’s birthday (she’s not a teenager anymore!), but today is the anniversary of the publication of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

Happy Birthday to both Elena & one of her favorite books!