Speech 2: Organize Your Speech. The second speech of the Toastmasters Competent Communicator program introduces the basic concepts of organizing a speech around a speech outline. Getting back into writing has made it clear to me why most authors are alcoholics, manic depressives, or lunatics. I am not a talented writer by nature. I had…
The Write Stuff: Well Color Me Surprised
Month eight of The Write Stuff finds me in the middle of peak season at work. I can’t concentrate on anything for more than a few minutes, so I’m gobsmacked to report that I finished my third story. Um, what? via GIPHY Goal 1: Finish four short stories in 2017 Look at this. Look at…
Love People. Use Things.
The first question my stepmother asked about my apartment in San Antonio was, “Are these all your clothes?” When we moved in July, the movers were surprised: “Only 36 boxes for a three-bedroom apartment?” The accidental minimalist I didn’t set out to be a minimalist. As a kid, I was the opposite: I had so…
The Write Stuff: Excuses, Excuses
As The Write Stuff wheezes itself into month seven, I’m having trouble focusing. I’ve done a lot of adulting lately (e.g., moving, writing large checks, and talking with my husband endlessly about “house stuff”), which is apparently worse for my creative output than even my negative self-talk. Goal 1: Finish four short stories in 2017…
Words, Words, Words
Speech 1: The Ice Breaker. The first speech of the Toastmasters Competent Communicator program is about introducing myself to the group, providing a benchmark for my current skill level, and standing and speaking without vomiting or passing out. Mr/Madam Toastmaster, fellow members, and guests. I’ve spent most of my life fighting with the voices in…