Sunday 30 March 2008

Newsletter woes

I'm trying to create a newsletter. I did - on a small scale for starters. Created a group in hotmail and tried to send but I had too many friends. I'm allowed to send to 10 at a time. So I turned to Outlook express - created a group of special friends - entered the group name in the To box. Saved it to drafts while I checked it and to my horror everyones name came up in the To box. I can't invade people's privacy like that. Under message rules the 'show people in To box' was already unchecked.
After countless tries to copy and paste my newsletter here on my blogspot I must give up. I'm so disappointed. The format and the thumbnail pictures were lost. I worked long into the night and most of this morning but now (due to family commitments) my computer has to be shut down for 6 weeks. I can't believe I let this beat me.
If anyone has advice, especially on how to send the newsletter via email without divulging the recipients names in the 'To' box, could you please leave me a message. I would very appreciate it. Thank you.

Sunday 16 March 2008

Editing

You've heard the adage: a great book is not written, it's re written. In the many rewritten drafts the story is moulded and polished.
Well, I've learnt another truth. To discover the real story within one must 'dewrite'. It's in the deleting and the word reduction you really come to differentiate between what you like about the story with what is truly essential to entertain the reader. I guess it's a case of putting the reader's needs before the author's.
I had no idea I was having so much fun on my own. :) But now I know, I have reduced, reduce, reduce and the story is better for it. Now the forest is gone we can all see the wood for the trees.