Isabel Allende at University of Utah tonight

Something I thought might be of interest.
-John

Renowned Chilean author Isabel Allende is the speaker tonight, December 2nd for the 2009 Tanner Lecture on Human Values. the lecture takes place at the University of Utah Olpin Union Ballroom, 200 S Central Campus Drive at 7:00 PM. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Allende has sold over 51 million books worldwide in 32 languages. Her titles include Eva Luna, Aphrodite, and The House of the Spirits, which became a major motion picture starring Meryl Strepp, Glen Close, Jeremy Irons, Wynona Rider, and Antonio Banderas. Ms. Allende's latest book, The Sum of Our Days is a memoir in which she shares her thoughts about love, marriage, motherhood, spirituality and religion, infidelity, addiction, and memory.

Ms. Allende is a vocal social activist and feminist. In tonight's lecture, "In the Hearts of Women," she expresses her views on female empowerment, perseverance, and unity.

Learn more about Isabel Allende at her website . Photo cortesy of Ms. Allende and U News Center.

Godd Luck, and welcome

Bon Voyage and good luck to those who have served us well and are moving on.

You'll be missed.

Welcome to those who are joining us in spreading the mission of CWC. Look froward to working with you.

John Wilkes

(photo courtesy of freefoto.com)

Give Me the Bird

Happy Thanksgiving, to all the staff, volunteers, and writers at CWC:

(photo courtesy of istockphoto)

John Wilkes

Volunteer Brunch: Thanks!

     The volunteer brunch was great. Thanks to everyone who put it together. I especially appreciated the brainstorming session. I'm glad we're going to do it each quarter. Good to meet all of you I had not met previously.

I was very pleased and surprised to learn that I was officially the very 1st CWC Volunteer. I was not expecting the nice certificate. Thank you very much, and as I said, it really has been my pleasure to be involved in such an important organization. Wish I could do more.

I appreciate the opportunity to co-mentor the DWS GBLTQA Writing group. I hope we can clear up the mentor issue soon, so the group can continue. I think it's an important group to have. I'd like to see us doing a DWS group for homeless people again. The apartment complex where I've lived since April, Palmer Court, is transitional housing for formerly chronically homeless people. (If they built a few more of these, I think the homeless population would drop by half.) Therefore, there is a possible meeting space available, and people to whom I can broach the subject. They may be more interested in it under the auspices of a social activity for the residents. Just say the word and we'll get together to discuss it.

Thanks again,

John Wilkes

Pomodoro Technique

I thought this might be a good technique for those writers who, like myself, have to break big writes down into manageable bits.

John

THE BIG TOMATO EFFECT











I am a professional procrastinator. Therefore, I rarely meet my goals, then I beat myself up over it. This is especially disappointing to me when it involves my writing. I feel I should be much more prolific than I am. I always just put it off until an idea is forgotten, or the spark has gone out of a piece I've workrd on, then abandoned.

I've recently learned of a promising time management technique that I think might help. I learned of it from a blog entitled The Corporatepreneur . Usually, anything involving the word corporate would not appeal to me, but the day I stumbled upon Dale's blog through my Google Reader, he had posted a bit called "Hitting 4 hours a day-with the help of a tomato." That was just weird enough to catch my eye. After spotting the heading "HELP! I'm an entrepreneur trapped in the job of an employee!", I was hooked.

As I began to read, I realized that the method he was trying could be very helpful to writers. Let's admit it, we all have the tendency to gravitate toward anything that will tear us from the blank computer screen or empty journal. This technique breaks tasks down into time increments and regular breaks using nothing more complicated than a kitchen timer.

Of course that's a simplification. There is some palnning and prioritization involved on our part to get the ball rolling. But the concept is so simple that if you're willing to invest a few minutes at the beginning of each day to list the tasks you want to acheive, then stick to the technique, I think you'll soon be spending more time doing and less time wishing or putting off.

I've decided to try it. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Anyhow, it's called The Pomodoro Technique. Click on the link above to read Dale's blog on it, and the link in this sentence to learn more and dowload the book for FREE.

Good luck and good writing.

MrW

Volunteer Brunch November 14, 2009

We would like to thank, support and celebrate all of our volunteers for the amazing work you have done over the past year. Come eat brunch, receive recognition and share challenges and successes with other volunteers November 14, 2009 from 9:30am—12:00pm.

9:30– 10:00 am Brunch
10:00– 10:30 am Introductions
10:30– 11:30 am Small Group Discussion of successes and challenges: Mentors, Coaches & Workshop Facilitators
11:30 am– 12:30 pm Awards and Recognition

To RSVP contact Rachel Jardine at rachel.jardine@slcc.edu or call 801.957.4992. Hope to see you all there.

Would things really be less stressful if you were...

...A housefly?

Just thought I'd post something for those who might need a laff.