Blog Talkers Weekly ... If you could go back in time, what one piece advice would you give yourself? Question submitted by: Shawna

Don't take this the wrong way... but you're going to die. Live well while you can. Spend less time considering what others think of you. Most of the time they have their own problems and won't even notice you. Don't give your time and energy to the people who only give you back negativity. Enjoy life, be less afraid of making mistakes. Do the things you have always wanted to do. Trust yourself more, a lot more.

Blog Talkers: Tell us ...

What are your opinions on the subject of giving personal information out in your blog entries? Do you use the real names of the people you blog about? Have you ever had a bad experience with someone getting 'too much information'? I'd like to know: Do the people that you blog about ever complain that you are blogging about them?

Question submitted by: Write From Karen

My blog isn't a secret but no one in my family is interested enough to read it. Sometimes I use names and sometimes just the title (brother, sister, etc.)

Now and then I reconsider something I wrote, most of the time I just leave it there. But, once in a while I delete something as being too personal and going too deep into my private thoughts and feelings.

The only problem I have is that of all my family my eleven year old nephew reads this. Not very often. But, I wish he wasn't. There are thoughts here which I wouldn't have ever told him about, things too adult for a young man.

At BlogTalkers:

If you had to spend one year living alone in a remote cabin, what would you spend your time doing?

(And let's assume there is no access to Internet)

Question submitted by: Write From Karen

I would do crafts like sewing, crochet and embroidery and I would read. I'd teach myself some programming and more web design. I wouldn't need the Internet for that, just a computer to test things on.

Meter is one of those words with several meanings. It's a measurement of size, though we spell it metre in Canada. It's a device like a parking meter, measuring time. It's also measurement of rhythm and pace.

According to my Funk Wagnalls dictionary, a meter is:

"A measured rhythm constituting one of the chief characteristics of verse."

Meter isn't just for poetry. There is some form of poetry in our fiction and nonfiction writing. The words you choose, how you arrange them and how they sound when they come together, are all part of writing something people will want to read more of. Think about it.

Recently in the BackWash message boards PussNBoots, one of the Adult columnist's said:

"Every writer searches for their own 'voice'. The best way to find it is to write. Also, pay attention to the voices of writers you admire. Read their work out loud to hear the rhythm and meter. Listen to why they chose particular words."

I thought that was brilliant. Reading your work out loud is the best way to check it's meter, the rhythm of your words. That doesn't mean you need to make your writing longer or chop it down, just choose different words or arrange them differently. See how your words flow, does the rhythm change or get monotonous? Is it dramatic and fast paced when you write about action? Or are the sentences you use kind of long and clunky? Do you tend to start sentences with the same pattern or rhythm? Vary your sentence structure.

"Tom went to the market, at Guildwood, everyday" Could be "Everyday, Tom would go to Guildwood's market." Not great examples but you get the idea, I hope.

Last night I went on a spending spree at Chapters, the mega bookstore in this area. I went in for The Writers magazine and came out many dollars lighter. (Debit cards are a blessing and a curse). I bought a new thesaurus which I already love and A Writer's Book of Days which I'm building up into love for. Judy Reeves wrote it and I'll look her up online later.

Anyway, there is so much encouragement, inspiration and creativity in this book for writers. I highly recommend you find it at your local bookstore.

I've paraphrased and added my thoughts to one of her articles. This is one of her essays which caused me to buy the book.

Honour Yourself as a Writer

Name yourself a writer. Give your writing preference over your day job, affirm the place it holds in your life. Tell them you're a freelance writer when someone asks what you do. Let yourself be proud to be a writer, whether you're raking in the bucks from writing or not. Don't put your writing in second place, like a hobby you might mention if someone asks. Honour yourself as a writer, just like Judy Reeves says!

Make a place for your writing, furnish it with materials that support you and your writing. Keep the space sacred and go there joyfully. I especially like this idea from her book. Make yourself a writing alter, take notes from the Pagans on making an alter. But, whatever you do make the space where you write special, meaningful, uniquely you.

Get the equipment and accoutrements you need. Do you really let yourself spend a enough on what you need to write? Don't over spend but let yourself have what you need to write well. Don't give it hobby status if you don't want to keep writing as a hobby.

Make time for studying and practicing your craft: attend writing groups, workshops, writer's conferences, classes and lectures. If you're too busy to go far try a few writing email lists. See which one works for you and then become a regular (don't just lurk).

Schedule time with other writers. Find someone else who writes and plan time together to talk about writing and have some fun. Don't let yourself become too isolated from others who write and think about writing.

Read your writing to others. Say it aloud to those who can appreciate it. Read it at writing meetings, family gatherings and no occasion at all.

Transfer your writing from your notebook to the computer and print it out. Everything looks more professional in print. Save your writing in printed format and keep it all organized in files. There is no reason you can't even make up a zine yourself. Just add a little desktop publishing and you can create your own literary publication, starring you.

Submit material for publication. In spite of yourself and your fears respect your work in producing the writing and the writing itself and submit it for publications. Give yourself a chance, it only costs a stamp, some paper and the time to research your markets.

Celebrate when you've completed a work or hit a significant marker. Take a road trip, make a fancy coffee, get a manicure, soak in the tub, call a friend, buy that new thesaurus you wanted, whatever makes a celebration to you. You deserve it.

Accept compliments gracefully. Don't become your own worst critic when someone says your writing touched them, was a great read or made them think. Instead say thanks and give them more to read, point them to your website, the latest publication to buy your work, whatever you have to offer. Instead of denying your work, promote it.