I received a tin of chocolates as a gift yesterday; today I could eat them all. In defense of my waistline I’ve hidden them in the cupboard. While secreting them away though, I discovered the opened package of M&M’s. Sigh.
On this rain driven morning, in a summer that isn’t, I assigned myself projects that demanded diligent effort. To that end, I visited my new best friend, Indeed.Com, a job aggregator on the Web, because even though the aspirations are to develop my own writing business, it’s going to be necessary to supplement that. Have I mentioned the pure ugliness that looking for employment via this method engenders? No matter what keyword you search, either a list of jobs for which you are not remotely qualified pops up, or the pickings are slim. We won’t even mention the fact that while I’ve applied for positions over these last months; in return I have received not one, nada, zero response. How to ensure a girl’s ego sinks below sea level. And yes, I still practice the art of networking, but the government, which currently pays me weekly, demands additional evidence that I am industriously looking. So, “Indeed” I must.
As for networking, I departed my two meetings this week with homework assignments--the first to uncover private and corporate foundations to which the not-for-profit I met with may solicit funds--more keyword research on the Internet. There’s a potential trade going on here; if I find the resources, they may train me to write the grants, experience I can parlay to market myself in the future. Hopeful that I had identified several foundations earlier in the week, this morning I developed a list of additional groups and began researching them. Not a single entity on today’s list of twenty, offers grants pertaining to the area in which this non-profit focuses—that meant about two hours down the drain. Worse, as I started reviewing the foundations I found earlier in the week, I’m not sure if they fit the bill either. Sigh number two. I moved on.
The next item on the agenda stems from the second networking meeting this week with a woman who may help me brand myself on-line. Today’s project entailed researching blogs that cover topics similar to Middle Passages. The goal is to begin to follow them, comment on them and hope that those bloggers will return the favor and visit my site, thereby generating more traffic. Here's an intimidating little fact. Did you know that there are over five million blogs on line? Some are written by phenomenal writers, far beyond my caliber, which makes me question my sanity in this endeavor. Writewrite is one of those. Others are trash, amplifying the fact that ANYONE can start a blog and convincing me today that I’m merely one of a vast and ignoble crowd. Sigh number three.
Along the same lines, I conducted additional research to review sites on Word Press to develop thoughts on better methods in which to enhance the look and usage of Middle Passages. Here are two that I liked: Story Corps, Delicious Days. Obviously, Middle Passages has a ways to go. There’s hope I suppose but for today--sigh number four.
Then, just as I finished a handful of M&M’s, a wind gust threw a branch at the sliding glass door--no harm done, but I’m not sure who hit the ceiling first, me or the cat. Sigh number five.
Good thing I know where the new chocolate is hidden.
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