For all their show of strength,
their straight backs,
and strong will,
Charlotte Bronte & Edith Wharton still exhibit a profound entrenchment in social prisons.
Charlotte in her rewrite of Emily’s work so that it appears tamer, less grim and more Christian and Edith who lingered in a love-less marriage because divorce was unacceptable.
Neither woman, though pioneers, were truly free.
Are you allowing yourself to be held back by societal expectations or other prisons?
About the author: Allison Frederick is a writer and online marketing educator for other creative women. www.FaMissWomen.com offers free Web 2.0 resources. She is also the author of an upcoming novel, A Portrait of Josephine, an academic-lite thriller. Find out how to receive a free copy of the novel by visiting www.portraitofjosephine.com
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Have you always dreamt of writing a novel?
If so, now is your chance. November is "National Novel Writing Month". There is a special online novel writing support program starting November 1st.
Visit http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/whatisnano to register.
The goal is to write as fast as you can for an entire month. Participants who finish the contest will find that they wrote at least 175 pages of their novel. The website has support features and you will know that you are part of a group trying to do the same time.
If you've been putting off writing that novel, maybe now is your chance. You will have the energy and support of thousands of others who are doing what you are doing.
About the author: Allison Frederick is a writer and online marketing educator for other creative women. www.FaMissWomen.com offers free Web 2.0 resources. She is also the author of an upcoming novel, A Portrait of Josephine, an academic-lite thriller. Find out how to receive a free copy of the novel by visiting www.portraitofjosephine.com
Visit http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/whatisnano to register.
The goal is to write as fast as you can for an entire month. Participants who finish the contest will find that they wrote at least 175 pages of their novel. The website has support features and you will know that you are part of a group trying to do the same time.
If you've been putting off writing that novel, maybe now is your chance. You will have the energy and support of thousands of others who are doing what you are doing.
About the author: Allison Frederick is a writer and online marketing educator for other creative women. www.FaMissWomen.com offers free Web 2.0 resources. She is also the author of an upcoming novel, A Portrait of Josephine, an academic-lite thriller. Find out how to receive a free copy of the novel by visiting www.portraitofjosephine.com
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Add 2 Parts Humor, 1 Part Cynicism – Create a Life Full of Laughs
Today is playwright Wendy Wasserstein’s birthday. Her last play, “Third” will be performing at the Denver Center Theater for Performing Arts for a couple more days. There are few writers today who are highly intelligent and still relevant. Wendy’s wit embraced a classic liberal arts education, combining it with a baby boomer perspective. Her lighthearted cynicism helped her win a Tony Award for “The Heidi Chronicles”. Wendy was the first female to win a Tony as a solo writer.
In 2006, Wendy died of cancer. She was only 55. She was a respected New York playwright since 1977. In her last play “Third”, Wendy’s main character, Lisa, is a professor at an esteemed New England liberal arts college. She considers herself a culturally evolved person who embraces cultural and lifestyle diversity and yet she struggles when one of her students depicts a lifestyle she can’t stand. This young, optimistic, athletic male student represents the “old white American male” world, a representation Lisa cannot tolerate. The story is an excellent depiction of perspective and power.
I can’t help but be a little angry and frustrated at Wendy Wasserstein. Perhaps she would forgive me and maybe even appreciate my frustration as she created many frustrated female characters. As I mentioned, Wendy died too young. Her writing describes her loathing of exercise and healthy food. She comically dismisses a healthy lifestyle in her books “Shiksa Goddess: Or How I Spent My Forties” and “The Seven Deadly Sins: Sloth”. Critic Sylvie Drake wrote “[F]or all who knew her, the true legacy was having met her at all.”* I would have liked to meet her and would love to have more of her work, but she is gone from us.
Applying Wendy’s Success
If you read any of her work or see her plays, you can see that she takes herself very seriously when it comes to her craft. She focused on details and had a wonderful way of combing information into a new paradigm. She used her characters to comment on her baby boomer generation and offered entertainment to thousands of people – even those who aren’t boomers. To me, her greatest success is her ability to create laughter.
Looking for more?
Buy tickets to the play Third. Showing until October 20th, 2007
NY Times tribute to Wendy Wasserstein, her life and work. Look at the left hand side of the article for a link called “Wendy and Heidi”. This is a slide show of her life and work accompanied with audio commentary by Charles Isherwood, a theater critic of The New York Times.
'>The Seven Deadly Sins: Sloth – This book is part of a series of the deadly sins written by various authors. It is a funny, quick read for the woman who is tired of being an over-achiever. The message is remarkably similar to that found in "You Can Heal Your Life" and that is to simply be happy in loving yourself and accepting yourself.
The Heidi Chronicles – LA Theater Works audio version of the play. This is a funny, cynical story of a woman named Heidi who is an art historian. Her life depicts the American female “coming of age” in the Women’s Movement.
Movie- Object of My Affection with Jennifer Aniston - Screenplay by Wendy which is perhaps why it is so funny. This is unlike any other romantic comedy with hilarious, yet not too incredulous situations. This film is a blend of an exaggerated comedy with modern romantic complications and a “modern” family life.
Autobiography: Shiksa Goddess: Or How I Spent My Forties- A series of essays that are funny and seem to be representative of a theater-going New York City lifestyle.
*Drake, Sylvie, “An Uncommon Woman’s Legacy”, Applause Magazine. Denver Center Theater for the Performing Arts, Volume XIX, Number 2, September-October 2007, p. 20
Happy Birthday Wendy.
About the author: Allison Frederick is a writer and online marketing educator for other creative women. www.FaMissWomen.com offers free Web 2.0 resources. She is also the author of an upcoming novel, A Portrait of Josephine, an academic-lite thriller. Find out how to receive a free copy of the novel by visiting www.portraitofjosephine.com
In 2006, Wendy died of cancer. She was only 55. She was a respected New York playwright since 1977. In her last play “Third”, Wendy’s main character, Lisa, is a professor at an esteemed New England liberal arts college. She considers herself a culturally evolved person who embraces cultural and lifestyle diversity and yet she struggles when one of her students depicts a lifestyle she can’t stand. This young, optimistic, athletic male student represents the “old white American male” world, a representation Lisa cannot tolerate. The story is an excellent depiction of perspective and power.
I can’t help but be a little angry and frustrated at Wendy Wasserstein. Perhaps she would forgive me and maybe even appreciate my frustration as she created many frustrated female characters. As I mentioned, Wendy died too young. Her writing describes her loathing of exercise and healthy food. She comically dismisses a healthy lifestyle in her books “Shiksa Goddess: Or How I Spent My Forties” and “The Seven Deadly Sins: Sloth”. Critic Sylvie Drake wrote “[F]or all who knew her, the true legacy was having met her at all.”* I would have liked to meet her and would love to have more of her work, but she is gone from us.
Applying Wendy’s Success
If you read any of her work or see her plays, you can see that she takes herself very seriously when it comes to her craft. She focused on details and had a wonderful way of combing information into a new paradigm. She used her characters to comment on her baby boomer generation and offered entertainment to thousands of people – even those who aren’t boomers. To me, her greatest success is her ability to create laughter.
Looking for more?
Buy tickets to the play Third. Showing until October 20th, 2007
NY Times tribute to Wendy Wasserstein, her life and work. Look at the left hand side of the article for a link called “Wendy and Heidi”. This is a slide show of her life and work accompanied with audio commentary by Charles Isherwood, a theater critic of The New York Times.
'>The Seven Deadly Sins: Sloth – This book is part of a series of the deadly sins written by various authors. It is a funny, quick read for the woman who is tired of being an over-achiever. The message is remarkably similar to that found in "You Can Heal Your Life" and that is to simply be happy in loving yourself and accepting yourself.
The Heidi Chronicles – LA Theater Works audio version of the play. This is a funny, cynical story of a woman named Heidi who is an art historian. Her life depicts the American female “coming of age” in the Women’s Movement.
Movie- Object of My Affection with Jennifer Aniston - Screenplay by Wendy which is perhaps why it is so funny. This is unlike any other romantic comedy with hilarious, yet not too incredulous situations. This film is a blend of an exaggerated comedy with modern romantic complications and a “modern” family life.
Autobiography: Shiksa Goddess: Or How I Spent My Forties- A series of essays that are funny and seem to be representative of a theater-going New York City lifestyle.
*Drake, Sylvie, “An Uncommon Woman’s Legacy”, Applause Magazine. Denver Center Theater for the Performing Arts, Volume XIX, Number 2, September-October 2007, p. 20
Happy Birthday Wendy.
About the author: Allison Frederick is a writer and online marketing educator for other creative women. www.FaMissWomen.com offers free Web 2.0 resources. She is also the author of an upcoming novel, A Portrait of Josephine, an academic-lite thriller. Find out how to receive a free copy of the novel by visiting www.portraitofjosephine.com
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Building a Brand So Sweet, it Lasts for Generations: The Story of See's Chocolates
An inspiring business success story always gets the juices flowing as the reader feels the flow of success and wise decisions bringing them along for the ride. Combine the rush of a good story with a story about chocolate and you have an irresistible combination.
It all began with the matriarchal figure of Mary See. Mary's recipes for chocolates and candies built the See's Candy Empire that has wooed America since 1921. See's Candies uses the finest quality ingredients and always has. That is one of the secrets to their success. Even during the Depression, they didn't cut corners. Their customers can always count on a quality candy and that is why their customers keep coming back. Does your customer have the same, quality experience over and over again?
The See Candy story is a classic American success story. They were descendents of Ireland, whose family immigrated to Ontario. Mary's son, Charles, was working as a salesman, selling ingredients in bulk to bakeries. There was a popular candy shop chain in Ontario and Charles felt that he could create something better. He and his family, including his mother Mary and her meticulous and loved candy recipes, moved to Los Angeles to open their own store.
It was popular in the 1920's to brand food products with a "trust-worthy, mother or grandmother" image. In 1921, the company that later became General Mills, created Betty Crocker, a fictitious woman who, in 1945, was voted the second most popular woman in America (behind Eleanor Roosevelt).* Charles went along with this trend, using his mother's photograph as the logo for See's Candy. This tribute not only reminded Charles and the employees where their great recipes came from, it also instilled the "warm fuzzy feeling" one has when we think of a gray-haired, plump woman's baking. We trust that it must be delicious. The logo and its emotional assurance and ability to generate fond memories of grandma's baking in some of us, is just one example of the cleverness Charles displayed when running his company. Does your company's logo have a broad, emotional appeal? Recently, logos have moved into the abstract or graphic look. Could your company's brand benefit from using a photograph?
Though the 1920's was profitable for the See's and they had several shops, the Depression of the '30s held them back a bit but they were able to keep their doors open and were even expanding by 1936. They renegotiated their leases, the employee salaries, and lowered the price for a pound of chocolate. ** All these measures ensured their success. Of course, they never compromised their quality so their brand was maintained. If your business has gone through lean times, have you been tempted to cut corners on your product? If you do then your customer cannot trust your product again.
Many business owners dream of selling their business for a lot of money. This was true for See's Candy. In 1972 the surviving family sold their business to one of the best businessmen in America's History, Warren Buffett.
I've highlighted only a few of the business decisions that led to the success of this company. Charles See was a visionary and a problem solver. He was committed to a course of action and took his family business to a level of success that few companies achieve. If you would like to learn more about this legacy and how you can apply their innovative thinking to your business, I encourage you to read "See's Famous Old Time Candies: A Sweet Story" by Margaret Moos Pick.
*The Betty Crocker Story, CS News book review, 2005
**"See's Famous Old Time Candies: A Sweet Story" by Margaret Moos Pick, (2005). p. 28
You can order See's candies online.
It all began with the matriarchal figure of Mary See. Mary's recipes for chocolates and candies built the See's Candy Empire that has wooed America since 1921. See's Candies uses the finest quality ingredients and always has. That is one of the secrets to their success. Even during the Depression, they didn't cut corners. Their customers can always count on a quality candy and that is why their customers keep coming back. Does your customer have the same, quality experience over and over again?
The See Candy story is a classic American success story. They were descendents of Ireland, whose family immigrated to Ontario. Mary's son, Charles, was working as a salesman, selling ingredients in bulk to bakeries. There was a popular candy shop chain in Ontario and Charles felt that he could create something better. He and his family, including his mother Mary and her meticulous and loved candy recipes, moved to Los Angeles to open their own store.
It was popular in the 1920's to brand food products with a "trust-worthy, mother or grandmother" image. In 1921, the company that later became General Mills, created Betty Crocker, a fictitious woman who, in 1945, was voted the second most popular woman in America (behind Eleanor Roosevelt).* Charles went along with this trend, using his mother's photograph as the logo for See's Candy. This tribute not only reminded Charles and the employees where their great recipes came from, it also instilled the "warm fuzzy feeling" one has when we think of a gray-haired, plump woman's baking. We trust that it must be delicious. The logo and its emotional assurance and ability to generate fond memories of grandma's baking in some of us, is just one example of the cleverness Charles displayed when running his company. Does your company's logo have a broad, emotional appeal? Recently, logos have moved into the abstract or graphic look. Could your company's brand benefit from using a photograph?
Though the 1920's was profitable for the See's and they had several shops, the Depression of the '30s held them back a bit but they were able to keep their doors open and were even expanding by 1936. They renegotiated their leases, the employee salaries, and lowered the price for a pound of chocolate. ** All these measures ensured their success. Of course, they never compromised their quality so their brand was maintained. If your business has gone through lean times, have you been tempted to cut corners on your product? If you do then your customer cannot trust your product again.
Many business owners dream of selling their business for a lot of money. This was true for See's Candy. In 1972 the surviving family sold their business to one of the best businessmen in America's History, Warren Buffett.
I've highlighted only a few of the business decisions that led to the success of this company. Charles See was a visionary and a problem solver. He was committed to a course of action and took his family business to a level of success that few companies achieve. If you would like to learn more about this legacy and how you can apply their innovative thinking to your business, I encourage you to read "See's Famous Old Time Candies: A Sweet Story" by Margaret Moos Pick.
*The Betty Crocker Story, CS News book review, 2005
**"See's Famous Old Time Candies: A Sweet Story" by Margaret Moos Pick, (2005). p. 28
You can order See's candies online.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Book Review: Shaggy Muses: The Dogs Who Inspired Virginia Woolf, Emily Dickinson, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Edith Wharton, and Emily Bronte
Author Maureen Adams wrote a wonderful overview of these famous women writers in her book Shaggy Muses. She explores each writer's life within the context of their relationship and dependence on their dog(s). If you are a dog lover, you can connect to the strong bonds between the women and their dogs. A dog is always accepting and incredibly tolerant. These dogs were no different and constantly, devotedly listened to their mistresses recite their work without ever appearing critical. They also kept the writers from feeling too much loneliness during their literary solitude.
Even if you are not a dog lover, this book offers a great overview and introduction to some of the most famous women writers of English literature. I do have to warn you; however, some of the experiences these women went through were painful.
Pick up a copy of "Shaggy Muses: The Dogs Who Inspired Virginia Woolf, Emily Dickinson, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Edith Wharton, and Emily Bronte" by Maureen Adams.
Published 2007.
About the author: Allison Frederick is a writer and online marketing educator for other creative women. www.FaMissWomen.com offers free Web 2.0 resources. She is also the author of an upcoming novel, A Portrait of Josephine, an academic-lite thriller. Find out how to receive a free copy of the novel by visiting www.portraitofjosephine.com
Even if you are not a dog lover, this book offers a great overview and introduction to some of the most famous women writers of English literature. I do have to warn you; however, some of the experiences these women went through were painful.
Pick up a copy of "Shaggy Muses: The Dogs Who Inspired Virginia Woolf, Emily Dickinson, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Edith Wharton, and Emily Bronte" by Maureen Adams.
Published 2007.
About the author: Allison Frederick is a writer and online marketing educator for other creative women. www.FaMissWomen.com offers free Web 2.0 resources. She is also the author of an upcoming novel, A Portrait of Josephine, an academic-lite thriller. Find out how to receive a free copy of the novel by visiting www.portraitofjosephine.com
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