Book-Writing Goals

by Susan Mary Malone


Writers ask me this literally all the time. Especially when trying to find their sea legs, novel writers worry whether they’re writing enough. Often enough. Volume enough. Wanting to keep up with the Kings and the Pattersons.

“Should I set an hour/time or a word-count as my goal?”

Depends!

When it comes down to the crux, fiction writing is a very personal endeavor. And all serious scribes do set some sort of production goals. The point is to find what works for you. And, to do so within the context of producing. In other words, it matters not how you get from point A to point Z, but only that you get to Z!

I know great book authors whose goal is to work for an hour a day. Period. The point is, for that hour they sit their butts in front of the computer. Every day. Even if each word typed is excruciatingly done, they still work. After all, the muse can be fickle, and some days she refuses to play. Not your concern if you’re committed (you always know she comes back!). And some days she roars with creativity, and three hours fly by without you knowing it.

Many others set word-count goals. And no “right” number exists for that. When I’m writing fiction, I set a goal of 1,000 words per day. Again, sometimes getting 250 down proves difficult. Conversely, some days’ work produces 3,000 brilliant ones (at least until I look at them the next day!). But usually that 1,000 words ends up being my average. It works for me.

If all this seems rather arbitrary, it is. Because a goal is just a goal—a standard to help guide you. To keep you honest. To keep you writing. It matters not how many actual words/scenes/chapters/pages you produce a day, nor how many hours you spend doing it. It only matters that you write. Regularly.

Especially when working on book-length fiction or nonfiction, when The End lives somewhere in the elusive and distant future, getting sidetracked is quite easy. And especially easy when you find yourself slogging through those dreaded sagging middles. Having a set daily writing goal kicks you in the butt to sit at the computer, whether you feel an ounce of creativity or not. Again, the muse will return at some point. And oddly, often in those very times of arid writing, you find yourself turning down a really right road you otherwise would have been racing too fast to see.

But even if what you write that day is schlock, you still wrote. The beauty of writing is that no other person on the face of this earth will see your first draft, and everything is up to debate whether it stays or goes. All that will be hashed out anyway in the book development.. So who cares if you write tripe in one session?

You can always ax it the next day, or down the line.

Because in the end, all that matters is that you wrote.

Water Damage a Major Factor in Mold Growth in Buildings

Building Cleaning Services Warns Building Owners to Watch for Mold from Water Damage

LOS ANGELES, CA: Building Cleaning Services, (http://buildingcleaningservices.net/) a Los Angeles mold remediation and building cleaning company, is warning building owners to watch for the indications of water damage in a building to prevent mold infestation that can follow. Building Cleaning Services has many years of experience in mold remediation and has helped countless building owners.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lays out basic facts about mold and the need for immediate remediation: “If mold is a problem in your home or school, you must clean up the mold and eliminate sources of moisture.”
The EPA points out that water in your home can come from many sources, including by leaking or by seeping through basement floors. “The amount of moisture that the air in your home can hold depends on the temperature of the air. As the temperature goes down, the air is able to hold less moisture. This is why, in cold weather, moisture condenses on cold surfaces (for example, drops of water form on the inside of a window). This moisture can encourage biological pollutants to grow.”

Building Cleaning Services has worked with countless building owners in Los Angeles fully rectifying mold problems on their premises. The company has specific procedures for handling water damage in a building, depending on the length of time the water has been in the area, which can be found on the company’s website: http://buildingcleaningservices.net/water-damage/. The company stresses that it is urgent that building owners handle water damage or any other signs of mold infestation right away, for the safety and health of all building occupants.

Just one of the many building owners Building Cleaning Services has helped with mold remediation stated: “The entire crew from Building Cleaning Services was professional and highly skilled. We were in a very tough situation with the black water intrusion and mold situation in our house, but helped to get our home back to normal. I can sleep better at night knowing that a good job was done in our home. I would highly recommend these folks to anyone. We received several quotes and some were lower than BCS, but no other company demonstrated the same depth of knowledge and that gave us confidence that they knew what they were doing.”

Building Cleaning Services' other reviews on Yelp can be seen at http://www.yelp.com/biz/building-cleaning-services-glendale

BCS provides water damage handling and mold removal services for the Greater Los Angeles area, and other areas of Southern California. Established in 1997, they have over a decade of experience as a company with fast service, high professionalism and work ethic. BCS is certified by the Institute of Inspection and Cleaning and Restoration and Environmental Testing & Technology. To learn more, visit http://www.BuildingCleaningServices.net, or call 818-953-7100 or e-mail bcs@buildingcleaningservices.net.

Mold Growth a Problem for Buildings and Residents

Researchers Continue to Find Evidence on the Damage to Structures Caused by Molds

LOS ANGELES, CA: Building Cleaning Services, (http://buildingcleaningservices.net/) a Los Angeles mold remediation and building cleaning company, is investigating concerns about the effect of mold on building structures. Structural damage is a clear consequence of unchecked mold growth, according to several independent research studies on the subject.

In report published by the Dartmouth College Library, “Mold can eat organic materials such as paper, dust, adhesives, leather, cloth, starches. Mold can stain paper, cloth, leather. The conditions that sustain mold growth hasten chemical deterioration in books/paper (high heat and high humidity). Some varieties of mold are toxic to humans (Aspergillus fumigatus).”

The California Department of Health Services also advised: “When airborne mold spores are present in large numbers, they can cause allergic reactions, asthma episodes, infections, and other respiratory problems for people. Exposure to high spore levels can cause the development of an allergy to the mold. Mold can also cause structural damage to your home. Similarly, when wood goes through a period of wetting, then drying, it can eventually warp and cause walls to crack or become structurally weak.”

Building Cleaning Services recommends that if the signs of mold are present in a building, occupants should take immediate action to effectively get rid of the problem. Allowing the condition to continue invites serious structural problems, in addition to the health risks to occupants.

Many people have spoken out about their success in working with Building Cleaning Services to handle buildings in Los Angeles in need of mold removal, such as this woman from Los Angeles who states: “With the reasonable price this service is better than others.”

Building Cleaning Services' other reviews on Yelp can be seen at http://www.yelp.com/biz/building-cleaning-services-glendale

BCS provides water damage handling and mold removal services for the Greater Los Angeles area, and other areas of Southern California. Established in 1997, they have over a decade of experience as a company with fast service, high professionalism and work ethic. BCS is certified by the Institute of Inspection and Cleaning and Restoration and Environmental Testing & Technology. To learn more, visit http://www.BuildingCleaningServices.net, or call 818-953-7100 or e-mail bcs@buildingcleaningservices.net.



Links used in the article:

Dartmouth College Library
http://cool.conservation-us.org/byauth/sagraves/sagrmold.html

California Department of Health Services
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CDQQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.utexas.edu%2Fsafety%2Fehs%2Fair%2Fmold9803.pdf&ei=31R-U_PyEoqiqAbHxYGABw&usg=AFQjCNEuuJ5WyDCoph0ErMA6UbfljR1dbQ&sig2=MU2oO2BU6ZkBRSTp0hkS9g&bvm=bv.67229260,d.b2k

Add Interest To Your Landscape With A Japanese Plume Cedar

By Nancy Penrose

The Japanese Plume Cedar (Cryptomeria japonica ‘Elegans’) is a beautiful addition to any landscape. This evergreen conifer is a member of the cypress family (Cupressaceae), and therefore, is really a cypress tree and not a true cedar. The Japenese cedar seedlings were introduced first into Britain in 1854 from Japan by Thomas Lobb, a British botanist who collected plants throughout the Philippines, India and Indonesia.

The Japanese Plume Cedar is a shrubby ornamental plant that can reach heights of up to 15 feet with a diameter of around 10 feet in about 10 years. Plant height at maturity is around 30 feet.

The tree typically has droopy branches with green-blue needles that turn a dark copper in winter. The foliage of the Japanese Plume Cedar, which is featherlike, dense and soft, is a green color during the summer months and a bronze-plum color during the fall and winter. The tree’s cones appear as it matures and are approximately three-quarter inches in diameter. Young cones are bright green and ripen to a reddish-brown.

When planted closely together, the tree can be used as a screen. The tree can also be planted as a border and used in rock gardens. It is frequently used as a contrast with other plants and trees.
Plume cedars do well in full sun or dappled shade. They prefer well-drained soil, but can also adapt to sandy or clay soil. Very little pruning is needed.

The genus Cryptomeria is native to Japan, where it is called Sugi. On the mainland, Sugi grow extremely tall – over 200 feet with a 13 foot diameter - and can live up to 500 years. It is the largest tree species in Japan.
The needle-like leaves of the tree are arranged in spirals. The tree is conical in shape, with somewhat drooping foliage, although sometimes the foliage can grow upward in small clusters. In ideal growing conditions, they are relatively fast growing trees.

The tree also has conical seed cones (both male and female) that grow in clusters. The cones change color from bright green to a deep brown as they mature.

Sugi tree plantations can be found in most of Japan’s mountainous areas. In Yakushima, Cryptomeria (called Yakusgui) live thousands of years. One reason for their longevity is the tree’s slow growth due to harsh environmental conditions. When the tree grows slowly, it produces more resin, which helps prevents disease and decay. The resin also makes the bark lightweight and waterproof.

Sugi is the national tree of Japan, and can frequently be found around temples and shrines. The tree’s wood is used for both exterior and interior construction.

The Japanese Plume Cedar is one of several Cryptomeria cultivars that include Bandai-sugi, Globosa Nana and Vilmoriniana, as well as dwarf cultivars such as Tansu, Koshyi and Yokohama. The dwarf cultivars are used for bonsai and can be found in rock gardens. Cultivars were introduced in Japan during the mid 1800s.

Are you looking for a tree for your landscape or garden? Speak with a big trees arborist who can help you with identifying trees and choose the best tree possible for your location. A tree nurserys supplier will know if a Japanese Plume Cedar is right for your growing environment, and can give you tips on the tree transplanting and maintenance of its health.

Housing Developer Gets Help from Big Trees Inc.

Housing Project Receives Addition of Several Large Trees Throughout Property

SEATTLE, WA: Big Trees Inc., (http://bigtreesupply.com/) a tree transplanting and tree nursery company located in the Seattle metropolitan area, recently assisted with the tree transplant of several large cedars at the site of a housing development project in Kirkland, Washington. The project involved digging the trees, balling them up and moving them from one area to another on the site of the development project. The trees were replanted and staked carefully and the property owners were then given guidelines for the proper care and watering of the trees.


The trees were requested to be transplanted throughout the property in order to add a sense of scale and greenery to the project. The project involved four tall Alaskan Weeping Cedars, each approximately 25' in height. A large forklift was used to transplant the trees, and the company reported that there was no stress on the trees during moving. The trees were then planted in locations throughout the property with great care. Big Trees Inc. further saw to the proper watering the trees would require. The tree transplanting company reported the trees did well in the transplanting process and could be expected to thrive in their new environment given proper watering.

Nancy Penrose, owner of Big Trees Inc., stated: "The trees did very well, especially considering the summer heat. The trees involved in the move were quite large, and generally it is harder to move larger, older trees, but proper care was taken to see that the trees were handled very carefully. We will be stopping in soon to check on how the trees are doing and see that the watering instructions are being carried out correctly. The trees look great in the landscape, and we hope they will be there to enhance the beauty of the property for a long time to come.”

Nancy Penrose is the owner of Big Trees Inc. (http://www.bigtreesupply.com), located in Snohomish, WA, in the Seattle area. The company is one of the largest tree nurseries in the Seattle area with over 120,000 trees available in over 300 varieties. They not only can deliver young trees but also mature trees in a wide range of sizes. Some types of trees available include spring flowering, deciduous, evergreen, and privacy trees. The company also does tree transplantion including large trees. Their blog can be seen at http://www.bigtreesupply.com/blog/