tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36488263895039721192023-11-16T05:33:20.796-06:00vvritersBernard Ricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06257696199699845735noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648826389503972119.post-82995158463771367602014-04-18T10:11:00.000-05:002014-04-18T10:21:50.411-05:00Against Loneliness<div class="MsoNormal">
Like dying, we ultimately write alone.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I have recently joined a writer’s web site that I trust
because I’ve found the writer’s craft book on which it’s based to be so helpful
to me that I wanted to continue the resulting conversation not only in my head,
certainly, but with others as well.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The book is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009V3G506/ref=cm_cr_mts_prod_img"><b>Discovering
the Soul of Your Story</b></a>. It’s nothing
to do with religion, but substitute words like “core” or “structure” just don’t
convey the heart this book has, a book, if there ever was one, genuinely about
distilling a story’s essence.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The book and site are the creation of <a href="http://www.rogerrueff.com/">Roger Rueff</a>, who is a brilliantly busy, highly accomplished writer, a master storyteller.<o:p></o:p></div>
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You can read the book, and you can visit the site and see
articles written in the spirit of the book and post comments. For a fee, you can become a full member as I
am proud to be, which I encourage if the site speaks to you and you want to
belong to a forum where writers do respond to each other. It also has the benefit of being designed
around the methods of the book, which lends the posts and comments cohesion. My membership is working for me, so I’m happy to recommend
the site to you.</div>
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<a href="http://soulofyourstory.org/">soulofyourstory.org</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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If you like the site, check out the book. It’s concise and insightful. I don’t believe there’s a writer’s craft book
available that more clearly expresses how a story is created, and I’ve read
many.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We all still die alone, but along the way we can have some
company.<o:p></o:p></div>
Bernard Ricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06257696199699845735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648826389503972119.post-80065318244414500982013-10-09T22:35:00.000-05:002013-10-09T22:35:21.484-05:00Why I WriteI enjoy writing for money, it’s everything Noah Berlatsky describes in his October 9, 2013 Salon article, <a href="http://www.salon.com/2013/10/09/why_unsuccessful_writers_give_the_best_advice/">"Why Unsuccessful Writers Give the Best Advice"</a>. In it, he contrasts himself with Ta-Nehisi Coates, a celebrated writer who'd recently been profiled in The Atlantic, quoted as saying that in his writing Coates never achieved "<span style="line-height: 20px;">that perfect thing that was in my head, so I always consider the entire process about failure."
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<span style="line-height: 20px;">Aside from those times I write to be paid, I am far more often compelled—best word to describe it—to write great quantities of made-up stuff that, having a life of its own, strongly resists shaping itself for any other audience but me. It’s embarrassing, but enormously satisfying. I certainly rewrite my creations as necessary, but I’m not preoccupied with perfection, really, only clarity. Nor even in my compulsion do I experience the existential struggle Coates describes. I just need to write. It would be nice to be paid, but fulfilling my needs is welcome compensation.
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<span style="line-height: 20px;">I will say that if I only wrote for money, I could say I write because it’s expedient to do so. The writing for myself, out of compulsion, is what makes me a writer.</span>Bernard Ricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06257696199699845735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648826389503972119.post-27074117495418623152013-03-24T12:23:00.001-05:002013-03-27T17:54:45.233-05:00Love Your Work!<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I have never
yet paid to enter a writing contest. I
can’t escape the feeling that any such contest is rigged. For starters, the contest exists simply to
indulge the contest organizer’s tastes while disingenuously demanding the
hopeful entrants pay for it.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">This sounds mean-spirited, I know--and that's not my style. There are many contests that charge entry fees which many writers consider reputable and worthwhile, though it does seem to me that the purest, if impractical contest would be funded by any group who in turn would vote their own winners. There may actually be a few out there that work like that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The only contest I've entered repeatedly is L. Ron Hubbard's <b>Writers of the Future Contest </b>(WOTF). It's free, popular, is judged by well-known, serious writers, and is respected and reputable.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">But about that "reputable" part... </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The contest is owned by the Church of Spiritual Technology, an entity of </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Scientology, and more than ever lately tales of physical abuse and other bad behavior continually flow from the ranks of this cult, yet the contest keeps itself completely separate from Scientology as L. Ron Hubbard seems to have intended. The "meta" problem here, though, is obvious. As Scientology sinks to ever deeper lows, can anything associated with it not be tainted? Of course, much charitable work is done by enormous corporations who simultaneously wreak havoc on the environment, etc. A cynic might observe that no good work doesn't have a connection to a suspect source of support. One can't "buy American" because there's always some component parts created in an overseas sweatshop, etc.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I may continue to enter WOTF. I'm Scientology's worst enemy. I'll take take their money and put it to good use. Here's a picture of Algys Budrys, a celebrated writer who commented on my story entry years ago, standing with Rachel Denk, with whom I had a pleasant phone conversation when I got lots of press for simply receiving an honorable mention in a WOTF contest. Budrys had nothing to do with Scientology as far as I know, Rachel, as a contest administrator, may still be a Scientologist, I'm not sure.</span><br />
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Bernard Ricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06257696199699845735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648826389503972119.post-88783230451514696282013-01-14T13:38:00.000-06:002013-01-14T13:38:11.822-06:00LeadershipTo be a writer is to be a leader, and to be a leader you have to have followers. Everyone has their own ideas, but not all ideas are created equal. When you consider leadership, consider conflict resolution.<br />
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To be a persuasive writer you have to learn to be a diplomat. To convince anyone of anything you have to beguile them with your charm. Or at least write clear sentences and meaningful paragraphs. (Perhaps paragraphs are passé.... Think PowerPoint<b><i><sup><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">® </span></sup></i></b>bullet points.)<br />
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Write it down and they'll read it. Lead and they shall follow.<br />
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Bernard Ricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06257696199699845735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648826389503972119.post-65246165726568911822011-03-30T17:10:00.005-05:002011-03-30T17:43:10.068-05:00Write, Type, or Speak?I think differently when I write longhand, no question. I could say that typing on a keyboard, whether a computer's or typewriter's, is more efficient and accurate because my handwriting grows more and more difficult to read as I get older. More thoughtfully, I say that writing longhand is more emotional, evocative, painterly, while pecking keys is more logical, literal, geometric.<br /><br />Speaking text is the great mystery, though, for me. Like all of us, I certainly say things in a different grammar and cadence than I write them, and with voice recognition technology I can say anything I wish to write--and the version resulting is more different than what I would have typed or handwritten are different from each other.<br /><br />Specifically:<br /><br /><blockquote>when writing specs or final drafts I type<br />when writing poetry or journaling I write longhand<br />when writing dialogue or musings I use speech recognition</blockquote><br />I'm sure there's fascinating psychology / neurology underpinning our various methods of communication.Bernard Ricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06257696199699845735noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648826389503972119.post-40566289884723444452009-08-14T22:31:00.012-05:002009-08-14T22:55:09.593-05:00The Play's the ThingI’ve had some excellent successes since I last made an entry here, though they are on the periphery of my freelance writing career. Writing is writing, I’m proud of my work. (I’m also working freelance as a Marketing Consultant these days, and Marketing is writing, too. Isn’t it?)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtLFzuLRGeF2uh7dryxVdSnw59PdUsSZs2qVMLBmHmUw9rZ-ycPgo-lBPsEU4D092xV2WdYdes6ibSxln__Y9oAQPvaXIWJ0CyYhc16se7cOyrXPR35qva0-EynrVcFAQvxpcDZK5CteA/s1600-h/SCF.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 197px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370029164073496274" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtLFzuLRGeF2uh7dryxVdSnw59PdUsSZs2qVMLBmHmUw9rZ-ycPgo-lBPsEU4D092xV2WdYdes6ibSxln__Y9oAQPvaXIWJ0CyYhc16se7cOyrXPR35qva0-EynrVcFAQvxpcDZK5CteA/s200/SCF.jpg" /></a><br /><br />My one-man show, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/bernard.rice#/event.php?eid=73438282696">STUPENDOUS, COLOSSAL FAILURE!</a> premiered at <a href="http://www.chicagodramatists.org/">Chicago Dramatists</a> on Saturday, April 11th. It was well received and I want to do a full-length version sometime, and have a venue in mind.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfQwcD1hnPMeDn_z5R0mHXPmZUVmNQFtrdeUxaTuJdDkXv3Rvy45guN8ao5KbhQOIvsKkqlpBKPauQN5fjMfHaRFq8-IlTcI1xFUWw7uuI-AUyaH80odC-ZESyo6mMYnotzh_ymH1FAAo/s1600-h/The+Worst+Thing.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 96px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370029175209958770" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfQwcD1hnPMeDn_z5R0mHXPmZUVmNQFtrdeUxaTuJdDkXv3Rvy45guN8ao5KbhQOIvsKkqlpBKPauQN5fjMfHaRFq8-IlTcI1xFUWw7uuI-AUyaH80odC-ZESyo6mMYnotzh_ymH1FAAo/s200/The+Worst+Thing.jpg" /></a><br /><br />More recently, a short play of mine, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/bernard.rice#/event.php?eid=110795833739">THE WORST THING</a>, also premiered at <a href="http://www.chicagodramatists.org/">Chicago Dramatists</a> (as a staged reading), and was directed by Kathy Scambiatterra, Artistic Director of <a href="http://www.theartistichome.org/">The Artistic Home</a>, a wonderful coup for me.<br /><br />What’s next?Bernard Ricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06257696199699845735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648826389503972119.post-32075654730787965902009-05-08T14:43:00.002-05:002009-05-08T14:47:15.210-05:00Make It HappenAnyone for a footrace? Want to give yourself a deadline? Comment here if you're interested, I'd be happy to encourage you to give yourself a time limit. It works for me, maybe we can help each other get things done. Just gentle reminders, no trash talk.<br /><br />Any takers?Bernard Ricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06257696199699845735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648826389503972119.post-66082590027846189402009-05-08T14:21:00.003-05:002009-05-08T14:38:08.072-05:00A Gratuitous Blog Entry<a href="http://www.onelook.com/?w=gratuitous&ls=a">"Gratuitous"</a> means "unnecessary, without cause, unwarranted," and there are many ways to achieve gratuitousness. Any aspect of a piece of writing is gratuitous if it doesn't do the work it should.<br /><br />I recently wrote a draft of a play with situations and language that those who heard a reading of it judged gratuitous, and their reasons were sound. I had not convinced them of the point, use, function of those situations and my use of language in the service of the work. Among other insights I gained from the experience was an idea that, while it likely isn't original, has novelty and may help me in my continuing development of the play.<br /><br />I have decided to write a synopsis of the play to clarify the story I am attempting to tell. Writing a synopsis should help a great deal in sloughing off any gratuitous elements. I intend then to build out from the synopsis and basically re-write the play.<br /><br />Reduced to even simpler terms, I suppose I will be outlining the play's plot.<br /><br />Let me know if you've had any comparable experience in your own work.Bernard Ricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06257696199699845735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648826389503972119.post-87952208469409072952009-05-08T12:14:00.002-05:002009-05-08T12:34:14.977-05:00Value of DeadlinesI recently had a reading of a play I've been writing for more than a decade in front of a dozen or more playwrights (led by <a href="http://www.chicagodramatists.org/catalogue/pwdetail.html?command=search&db=/databases/pwdb.db&eqpwiddatarq=9051&titlesort=1&titlesdir=as">Sarah Gubbins</a>, <a href="http://www.steppenwolf.org/ensemble/history/productions/index.aspx?id=465&tab=podcast">FAIR USE</a> and many other plays). The opportunity presented itself at <a href="http://www.chicagodramatists.org/home/">Chicago Dramatists</a>, with which I'm pleased to be associated as a Network Playwright.<br /><br />I got very useful feedback, but the main take-away was the power of the deadline. I had learned less than a week before the reading that I'd get this opportunity and had to distill hundreds of pages of notes and a couple hundred more pages of dialogue and stage directions into a comprehensible first-draft, bona fide script.<br /><br />Never underestimate the power of a deadline. For better or worse.Bernard Ricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06257696199699845735noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648826389503972119.post-3839547121691379192009-05-08T11:51:00.002-05:002009-05-08T11:58:05.005-05:00Blogging HiatusPlease read <a href="http://metathing.blogspot.com/2009/05/blogging-hiatus.html">today's post</a> on my <a href="http://metathing.blogspot.com/meta blog">Meta blog</a>, which explains my recent absence from these pages.Bernard Ricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06257696199699845735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648826389503972119.post-32290997928405359142009-02-23T23:59:00.000-06:002009-02-24T00:46:40.618-06:00Time ManagementYou've probably seen as many clever time management schemes as I have. I don't think there exists a time management scheme or formula that's 100% reliable. Whether they work or not depends at least in part on personal temperament.<br /><br />What works best for me is just doing what's in front of me. Is it a truism that time well-spent on a sound plan saves hours and days of revisions and fixes later on? When I plan too much time flies by. I say focus on what's in front of you, and let your intuition tell you what's next.Bernard Ricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06257696199699845735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648826389503972119.post-91025900896410066322009-02-20T23:59:00.000-06:002009-02-24T00:38:24.763-06:00Force of HabitYou have to be ahead of yourself if you want to succeed. The unexpected always happens, and the best way to prepare for every eventuality is to be done already.<br /><br />I'll prepare some posts in advance.<br /><br />Are you prepared? Do you get sidetracked?Bernard Ricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06257696199699845735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648826389503972119.post-30161027871314811322009-02-19T23:59:00.001-06:002009-02-24T00:37:00.917-06:00Don't Pay for WorkI make it a rule of thumb not to pay for an opportunity to write. I understand that all professions have necessary expenses, but paying for writing “leads” turns me off.<br /><br />Have you seen <a href="http://www.gofreelance.com/">http://www.gofreelance.com/</a> ? Google them and entertain yourself with all the pro and con comments on their service. Of course, I suspect all the comments in favor are made by lackeys who have been paid-off, perhaps given a discount coupon to GoFreelance. And, surely, all the comments against are by GoFreelance competitors, disguised as clients.<br /><br />That’s why I’m making my own stand here, in vvriters. At least I’ll have a coterie of persons I get to know and trust and hopefully we’ll find legitimate opportunities together.<br /><br />I found one reference to GoFreelance which seemed reasonable, a soft-sell thumb's-up: <a href="http://www.freelancewritingsuccess.com/freelance-writing-assignments.php">http://www.freelancewritingsuccess.com/freelance-writing-assignments.php</a>.<br /><br />What's your opinion?Bernard Ricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06257696199699845735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648826389503972119.post-55760962571819637752009-02-18T23:59:00.002-06:002009-02-24T00:34:31.324-06:00Forcing Myself to WriteIt’s odd that I should have to force myself to write when I so much love the act of writing.<br /><br />But it’s true. This blog is an effort, because there are constraints. I have to pick a relevant topic, write whether or not I have a deathless idea about it, and then I must meet a self-imposed deadline, posting something every working day.<br /><br />It’s also challenging because I’m writing exactly on topics about which I’m unsure. I’m unsure how to make a living writing. I’m unsure how to reach an audience. I’m unsure how to pursue clients. I do it all, but I don’t pretend to be an expert—yet.<br /><br />It’s those things about which we are most unsure that often provide us with our best material. And it’s those things about which we are most unsure we are well advised to know, for safety’s sake.Bernard Ricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06257696199699845735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648826389503972119.post-63229695495305778572009-02-17T19:30:00.002-06:002009-02-17T19:39:49.772-06:00Ready?Time was you'd get your degree and you were ready. Today, of course, education is ongoing and unending. I'm not sure the world is really moving faster, I am sure a lot more is expected of us each day. Whether the quality of our output has improved or not, we succeed first and foremost because we showed up—paraphrasing Woody Allen, unless someone else with the same idea showed up before he did.<br /><br />I find it useful to wake up each day with selective amnesia. I remember only what I need to know to keep trying. I hope you keep trying too.<br /><br />I am trying to get some leads on some good writing assignments. When I find them, I'll post them here, assuming they can be shared.<br /><br />Write when you find work.Bernard Ricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06257696199699845735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648826389503972119.post-84082971869618511012009-02-16T23:59:00.000-06:002009-02-17T19:30:04.021-06:00Prototype Your AssignmentWhat do you prototype?<br /><br />The urge to provide quicker and quicker turnaround can result in sketchy work—but creating a quick sketch can be good. Think about prototyping your next assignment. Give them what they want in the end, but in the beginning give them a rough draft of what to expect.<br /><br />Prototyping allows for change. You can work with the client in lockstep, develop the desired copy not only to specification, but to ongoing revised specs as well.<br /><br />Take a page from computer software prototyping, and be both the first with the right answer, and the one who goes the distance and provides every nuance the client wants—in revisions.Bernard Ricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06257696199699845735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648826389503972119.post-83365535230215803162009-02-13T23:59:00.000-06:002009-02-15T18:37:31.007-06:00Should I Be Blogging?Of course writing on the internet is the future. Everything and everyone is moving to the web. And blogging is a potential revenue stream, right? Let me know if you've made any money directly from blogging, from passive advertising, selling baby chickens, whatever. Also, let me know if you've won a lottery.<br /><br />I'm blogging in a an attempt at networking with other professionals. I'm blogging to give myself ideas. I'm blogging because I write everyday anyway.<br /><br />This may be my way forward and I just don't realize it yet.Bernard Ricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06257696199699845735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648826389503972119.post-20057748741648464982009-02-12T23:59:00.000-06:002009-02-15T18:28:14.999-06:00Freelance FreefallWill the current economic crisis help freelancers, or hurt them?<br /><br />It feels to me like the times are hurting everyone, even those in supposedly safer areas. For example, lots of nurses are losing their jobs even as we have a nursing shortage. Why? Because our economic system is not functioning properly.<br /><br />Here's someone else's blog post, with savvy comments on this subject:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.poewar.com/will-the-recession-hurt-your-writing-career/">http://www.poewar.com/will-the-recession-hurt-your-writing-career/</a><br /><br />Isn't it a moot point, though? You can be a success while everyone around you falls, and fail with your best work while others sail by. Statistics don't really matter, ultimately. It's all or nothing, either you're making it or you're not. At least it seems so to me.<br /><br />Enjoy the ride.Bernard Ricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06257696199699845735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648826389503972119.post-33480095622309212302009-02-11T23:59:00.000-06:002009-02-15T18:10:22.266-06:00A Potential ProblemI have a lot of potential, and so do you. It's a real problem, isn't it? It is for me.<br /><br />I have no problem writing, but I always need to be writing more, and I need more readers as well. I was talking to an acquaintance, telling him how I admired his writing career, that I was not satisfied with my own. He advised me he wasn't too please with himself, that the writers he admired were far more accomplished. Assuming there may be someone at the top of this heap, that person is perhaps satisfied with himself. <br /><br />The rest of us aren't.Bernard Ricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06257696199699845735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648826389503972119.post-47276478252669973172009-02-10T23:46:00.002-06:002009-02-10T23:47:56.435-06:00Persistence PaysYou know persistence pays.<br /><br />You probably have seen this famous quotation:<br /><br />"Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race."—Calvin Coolidge<br /><br />We like to think we have a rational understanding of events, but science suggests reality is more random than we like to think, and that the order we perceive is often a matter of our seeing patterns where none exist.You probably feel your talent and training give you an edge. Knowing that the probability of an event (for example, securing a paid writing assignment) relies more on chance than we'd like to think, perhaps we should all spend greater effort increasing our numbers—more contacts, more words written, more self-promotion.<br /><br />This is not to say we shouldn't strive to improve our game, only to consider the likelihood that luck plays a large part in our careers, whether we are inclined to think so or not.<br /><br />Increasing our exposure is at least as important as improving our skills.<br /><br />You agree?Bernard Ricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06257696199699845735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648826389503972119.post-862259201919863582009-02-09T17:35:00.001-06:002009-02-15T18:39:33.961-06:00Resume CriticSomeone critiqued my resume recently, with the intention, it turns out, of selling me their services as a resume doctor. I should have known, the tip-off was the critique was "free."<br /><br />You're a writer. Do you hire writers to do your writing for you? Ever?<br /><br />How many times have I written a letter, only to tear it up (or save it in my scrap file). This time around, I'm splitting the difference--not sending it, but posting it here:<br /><br />Hello, [Name Withheld]:<br /><br />Thanks for your detailed and thoughtful evaluation.<br /><br />Many of your suggestions I am able to incorporate immediately, some I’ve heard before and thought I had addressed, but I agree I can improve my resume in ways you described.<br /><br />Having said that, I am a professional writer and know my audiences. I am disinclined to overstate my accomplishments, and have found a measure of humility wins the best prize in the end. The very version of my resume you panned prompted a call to me recently from the president of a large and successful consulting firm.<br /><br />The crux is, trust in any critique becomes alarmingly problematic when accompanied by a hard-ball sales pitch. Do you have any inkling how many times each day on the internet someone’s shouting at me how I urgently need something?<br /><br />Fortunately, as I said, you gave a useful evaluation of my resume which stands on its own merits. Perhaps it embarrasses you to have to add that boilerplate at the end offering professional help. (And at a discount!)<br /><br />So thanks again, I’ll keep my money for more prudent uses. You told me it was in the interest of honesty that you were blunt in your remarks, so you won’t mind my being blunt also: expunge the exclamation points from your critiques and look up “passive voice”—perhaps you were being clever?<br /><br />Someday all sales pitches will fall on deaf ears. I think it will happen all at once. Some Monday morning no one will purchase anything that’s hyped. I think the internet, for all its abuses, will make it possible. We’ll all just price compare and buy what we need from passive vendors.<br /><br />“The meek shall inherit….”<br /><br />My thanks to you are sincere,<br /><br />BernardBernard Ricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06257696199699845735noreply@blogger.com0