Saturday, March 26, 2011 | By: Unknown

Saturday Stumblings - Randomness From the Writerly World

Help, topfer, sxc.hu
I'm stumbling all over myself this Saturday morning, but I haven't fallen yet. I found it hard to pry my eyes open this morning, and I really hope the coffee can kick my rear into gear. I'm very busy today with some upheavals going on at home while trying to write and keep the money coming in. I've weathered worse though. I can't disappoint anyone, because I know y'all eagerly await my wit and wisdom. ;-)

Time for a bit of randomness from the writerly world. Let's start with YCN and the new Featured Contributor program. I'll admit I'm rather ticked off at their latest shenanigans. They pulled their usual, which is make it up as we go and see how many writers we can send into a panic this time! Combine a surprise slap upside the head with a deadline of three days, I think, and not everyone is happy.

The latest move is sending out test assignments for the subcategories we applied to get into. There was absolutely no mention of this at the beginning of the month. We were told to fill out the application for the main category and subs, then on April 1st we'll notify you if you made it in. A couple of days ago, up pops FC test assignments. You have to write according to the directions, of course, to even be considered for that subcategory. If they don't like it, you don't get to be an FC. You can reapply for categories 3 times a year, so if you don't "pass" you're down to two. I think you have to wait 3-4 months before you're allowed to reapply. *gets down on all fours to become the cute pooch that jumps through rings of fire* Nice image is it not?

I feel like it's unfair to keep springing these surprises on us. If you want to change it, post advance notice notice of at least two weeks YCN!! We are writers and many of us make schedules and write certain things at certain times. Throwing test assignments at us and then laughing as some of us juggle to fit it in somewhere in between other pressing deadlines isn't funny. Also the short time to write it in does not amuse anyone either.

On to DS and their freakin' references and resources format. I love them, I really do. I don't get paid as often and certainly not as well as I do there. Gardening titles are plentiful, keep 'em coming, and most CE's are awesome. Changing it from Website: Name of Page to formatting it as if we're sourcing a book sucks!! The other way was simple and easy. I've never seen such a group of confused people in my life as when it was changed, including me. Even CE's don't get it because they're mixing colons and semicolons in the refs and resources or even erasing the other info and putting it back to the old way of Website: Name of Page. Do us all a favor DS...put it back the way it was. Yet another bad move on your part, like the way you want business info inserted into articles. That particular piece of business is just ridiculous looking and stupid.

Ok, enough rants against the people I write for. I really had to get that off my chest. I'm making headway in my writing. When I need to research for DS titles, I tend to grab too much info, which causes me to have to go back before writing and take out stuff that I really don't need. It wastes time and time is money. I now repeat the title in my head as I'm looking at the info and take only the barest bones I need to fill it all in. If I can stick to it, maybe I'll get more written every day.

Speaking of wasting time, what are your bad habits as a writer? What things do you catch yourself doing that wastes writing time? We all do little things, come clean and fess up.

2 comments:

Suz Alicie said...

I am the worst procrastinator. I have assignments due every week. I know that they are due on Wed, Friday and Saturday. Wish I could say I am able to work ahead and have them done early in the week, but I can't I work on my blogs, my websites and my book, then do my assignments usually on the day they are due. I'm working on it though and last/this week I did manage to get the Friday ones done early. Here's hoping next week will be more working and less procrastinating.

Tony Payne said...

I am a current featured contributor for Arts and Entertainment at YCN, and although I applied to be one of the new contributors, I haven't got any emails about it yet.

So does this mean (a) I am good enough - they don't need to test me any more, (b) I'm not good enough and not worth testing, or (c) I fell through the loop somehow.

Knowing how many problems there have been since Yahoo took over Associated Content, I will believe that anything can happen.

I guess we just have to wait another week to find out... Good Luck :)