Why I Write for E-Zines

In the world of children’s writing, and probably adult writing, online magazines, for the most part are not considered anything special when it comes to a writing “making it.” For starters a lot of them don’t pay, or they don’t pay industry standards. They are almost looked down on because they are not something tangible to hold, like a real paper magazine. So why would a I “waste” my time on submitting to e-zines.

For starters I submit my stories to all different magazine venues. And while I would prefer to be able to see my work in a tangible form, like I have a few times, the point of my writing is to get my story out there, to children or adults. And the cheapest and easiest way for families to get stories to their children (especially with our struggling job situations) is through online venues.

Over time I have decided that why I write is more important than what the writing industry thinks of e-zines. And while many of my long time blog visitors know my stance on e-readers :/ I feel that magazines, because they offer short reads, are okay to be apart of the industry’s way to promote easy ways for children to get excited about reading.

After all, the point of writing is reading.

Flash Fiction

Please check out my first flash-fiction piece Snow-Bite up today only at Flashshot.

Thanks

Architecture and Fashion…

…go hand in hand. Which is why I’ve always been a little nervous this day would come. I’ve always been fascinated by architecture and design, I even took an interior design and architecture class as humanities requirement. However my favorite era was never covered! Jerks!

It’s been building for about six or so months now…and I’ve come a realization that, I’ve fallen for fashion. It’s official…I’m a girly girl! I guess.

There were always signs…my obsession with US Weekly gossip and candid photos spread from page to page, and my pure pleasure in getting Marie Claire in the mailbox every month, the overwhelming “choice decision feeling” I get standing in front of a display of nail polish colors, my love for fragrant bath products, and my joy of masks and creams (under a respectable price)!

Now, there is nothing wrong with being a girly girl, I guess I can be a different kind of girly girl. I still find some design and fashion utterly ugly, I still can’t pronounce half of the designers, and I still worship my clothing shopper (The Husband)! Yes, I can’t stand malls or clothing stores. Ninety percent of my clothing is picked out for me. I’m not one for salons, I HATE having my hair messed with by a stylist in a hurry, I can’t stand sticky hair products, and blow dryers give me anxiety. Although I love getting it washed and brushed at the salon!

But back to my obsession with Marie Claire (the magazine has EVERYTHING in it!! besides fashion), which I believe caused my discovery of fashion…

I’m noticing more and more that I understand fashion, much like I’ve always understood architecture. In the glossy pages of fashion, I may not get the appeal, as in I would never wear it, nor pay $365 for a belt! A BELT!?!?!  Hell I can’t seem to understand why anyone spends more than $15 on a shirt! Yet, I see the portrait they are trying to portray.

I still struggle with understanding beauty in these model spreads. Often times I do understand it and even I say WOW! i.e. model Ingvild Moerk and Jessica Stam! And often times I can’t believe someone actually paid said model to pose in anything! Yikes!

Yet the fact is I want to understand it more, fashion, why I’m not sure, but I’m finding more that is appealing…

It does leave me worried though…I simply can’t ever make it affect my life in a way that will turn me into a girl who plasters on make-up, fills up her purse with anything other than chap-stick and gloss, constantly standing in front of the mirror in a restaurant bathroom, spending gobs of money on products and perfections. NO! I don’t want it to ever lead to that.

So I will take fashion like I take architecture. From a distance, viewing its lines and history, and flipping though a photographer’s images.

Fathers…Men…Their Meaning…

I try to keep things rather gentle, calm, etc. on here but I came across an article in The Atlantic titled: Are Father’s Necessary? by Pamela Paul.

For the millionth time I will state again, because of my background, I do have some idea about what I’m talking about!

The article points out that according to a new study (which are all flawed anyway) that there is no proven fact that fathers are actually important in the growth and development of a child.

The article goes on to discuss how lesbians can raise children better than a man-female family, for various reason, one being because lesbian parents spend more time than a father would with said child. The point of the article is that quality parents are the best for a child regardless of gender.

Now I really don’t care about any of this gender/lesbian/gay crap, caring for a child is caring for a child. Period. 

What got to me was how the article ended. “…there’s nothing objectively essential about his contribution.”

This is down right….bull $hit! Really.

I don’t care what studies say what, to a boy AND to a girl having a father figure around is always important. It’s important for children, especially during development, to be able to have such an important role model and one that will explore, explain, and live the “male” life.

Yes there are both awful fathers and mothers out there. But for those fathers (the great ones) out there who are so beneficial to their child, this, must be painful to hear, and once a study goes into place…others follow.

We all know about the girls that have “daddy issues,” and they have those issues for a reason, whether it be from an absent father, negative father, abusive father, etc. Men teach us all something valuable, and that is, their side of the story. A female can’t ever take the place of a male.

So if you have a two mom or two dad family, you should have a person of the opposite sex, either friends or family, come around and spend time with your child. There are reasons for all of us. Male and female.

The nicest, most caring, funniest, thoughtful, educated, giving people I’ve ever met in my life are men! And one day, if not already those men will be fathers or a father figure! And they deserve respect from society!!

Car Magazines

There is Road & Track, Car and Driver, Motor Trend, 4 Wheel, and Off-Road, to name a few. While 4 Wheel and Off-Road are well balanced magazines that cater to repair, pictures/stories, and new products…who are the other magazines geared toward?
When flipping through the others you find articles on the BMW 5-Series and the difference between the Porsche 911 Turbo and the Corvette ZR1…why do we care right now? Who is buying $160,000 cars??? While they do, sometimes, compare $20,000 cars, they are cars that get 24mpg…why are they still even making cars with that crappy of mileage?
In one, I found an article on a 2010 4Runner, am I expected to remember the article, or tear it out and file it away, for 2020 when I want to buy a car and think back…oh the 2010 was a good model?!

I say we have a car magazine devoted to what most people can afford, titled:
“OK Cars – Purchasing a Used Car with Knowledge!”