Kendra Bonnett--Getting Read #23
I'm in Connecticut this week doing a favor for two very dear friends. They had an opportunity to go to Mexico for a week but couldn't find anyone local to take care of their puppy, cat and two horses. So, I'm house, dog, cat and horse sitting.
Quinn, the puppy is a beautiful English Setter with a heart of gold. He's about eight months old and brimming with youthful energy. In short, he's into everything and driving me crazy. Yesterday he broke into the special area where we put out the cat's food. When I discovered what he'd done, it was too late. He'd eaten the cat's food...and since I couldn't find the bowl anywhere I began to think he'd eaten that too! I found the bowl about six hours later...after checking every room and under every piece of furniture. Twice. I'd forgotten how much attention a puppy requires.
Quinn likes to run into the woods where he picks up ticks. He transferred one onto me yesterday. I'm paranoid of Lyme Disease so I freaked. Today, I walked him on a leash. He chases the neighbor cat that ventures into the yard, steals my slippers and follows me wherever I go (including the bathroom). You haven't lived until you've been puppy slimed as you step out of the shower.
But what does this have to do with memoir writing and divorce? Don't worry, I'll explain. It took me awhile to see the connection too. I watch this dog all day and realize that every day he confronts something new in his life...the leaf that flutters by and scares him...the little calico cat next door who comes up to the slider and peers nose to nose at Quinn...the pumpkin on the doorstep that needed to be told off with a good barking...the stairs leading to the dark, forbidden basement.
Someone going through divorce for the first time must feel a lot like Quinn with new and frightening experiences cropping up almost daily...lawyers, settlements, custody, single parenting...and so much more. That's where DivorcedWomenOnline.com (DWO) comes in to my story. DWO is an online magazine for “women of all ages (20s-60s) who are contemplating, moving through or beyond divorce.”
Founding editor Delaine Moore contacted me last week to tell me about the site's success to date and her plans for its future. Currently, DWO gets about 25,000 views per week and reaches some 100,000 women overall. What this means is Delaine is looking for writers on a wide range of topics, including stories, health tips, fashion advice and more. Read my post "A Call for Writers: Large Online Magazine Offers You Publishing, Publicity and Platform Building Opportunities" for all the details. I posted this yesterday and already we've been able to direct one writer to DWO. If you think you have something to say to women contemplating, facing or getting over divorce, you just might find a good platform for yourself that will give your work exposure to a large audience of women. Matilda and I will be doing a monthly writing column.
And speaking of writing, I'd like to point aspiring memoir writers to my Friday column on tips for memoir writing. Women just starting to write may find themselves facing a world of scary unknowns...just like Quinn. I'm hoping this list of links will be a good place to start. You can click here for "Lists for Writers: 10 Tips for Writing Your Memoir." I've even embedded the first part of Susan Albert's and Susan Tweit's delightful reading and conversation sponsored by The Wittliff Collections.
Kendra, I hope that you and Quinn survive your week! Good for you for finding the positive in life with a puppy, and I love the way you connected it to what it's like facing life after a divorce and thus to Divorced Women Online. It sounds like an interesting forum for writers, and an interesting audience. And thanks for honoring Susan A and I by embedding a bit of our conversation at The Witliff last November. We had a great time and a wonderful audience!
Posted by: Susan J. Tweit | October 12, 2010 at 06:08 PM