Big News

blogging, widowhood

A piece of mine was featured yesterday on wowblog.me; “wow” stands for “Women’s Older Wisdom.”

Here’s a direct link:

http://wowblog.me/this-isnt-exactly-what-we-had-planned/

I will be paid for it.

Let’s let that land for a minute.

I have been writing since I was a pre-schooler. This is the first time I can remember where I will be paid for writing something that wasn’t to serve or promote an organization I worked for as an employee, or to win a prize in school by writing about someone else’s writing.

This is me getting paid for writing as me, A WRITER.

Hot damn.

Validation, thy name is “the check’s in the mail.”

And delightfully, validation out of serendipity: this opportunity came about because my cousin forwarded a link to “On Dying Heroically” to Pat Taub, who runs wowblog.me. An invitation to submit a guest post resulted. So thanks, Cos! And thanks, Pat, for the opportunity.

I chose an image of fireworks against a dark sky for this announcement, because this accomplishment is a bit bittersweet: I was asked to produce a piece on widowhood in middle age. But that’s what I’m living and writing about, so that was fine with me.

For those of you looking for guest post opportunities, Wowblog.me is interested: the blog wants to reflect diverse opinions and experiences. If you want to submit, your piece should be 550-650 words and you should include a short bio (100 words or less) and a thumbnail head shot. Take a look at the blog to get an idea of the kinds of articles published there.

When I looked at my stats, I realized that readers who came over from wowblog.me to check out Ridiculouswoman were looking at pages I hadn’t updated in a while, like my about page, and my books and music page. So that gave me a nudge to tidy those up a bit.

I did recently add a few new entries to the Snark Tank – check out “Whipped,” “Meat is Gluten Free!” and a new, top entry under “Shit Doctors Say.”

That this happened, getting published on somebody else’s blog and getting paid for it,  finally pushed me to add “freelance blogger” to my resume and even to my LinkedIn profile. Not that I’d quit a day job, if I had one! Still looking, there. But I’m looking for a day job (or a part-time job or any kind of a job that will bring in some money to pay for silly things like health insurance and electricity) to support my brand new, long-postponed, writing “career” and related (hoped-for) speaking engagements.

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Thanks for reading and for your support. Readers of and commenters on this blog are my online community, and I love you. I really do. Curses, no tissues handy, again…

Sore from newly adopted devotion to working out spurred by alarming weight gain, and trying to get up the gumption to paint another room, I remain,

Your actually published by someone other than myself,

Ridiculouswoman

Published by Ridiculouswoman

When my husband entered hospice I finally learned that love, gratitude and laughter are what matter. Every new day is a do-over, another chance to try to live with kindness and an open heart. Or sometimes snark. But mostly kindness. And laughter. Mostly at myself. Photos are my own or from free sources; all writing is ©Anne Penway. No content on this site may be used for any reason without express written permission.

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23 thoughts on “Big News”

    1. Thanks for reading it. We have been going through another tough “wave” – these tend to be pretty bad around Father’s Day; just makes us feel lonely and abandoned and makes me all jumpy and nervous about everything. So I’m trying to enjoy this success while simultaneously trying to suppress worries about what’s coming, or isn’t coming, next. Dear old OCD. It finds a cloud for every silver lining. Mix in grief and financial uncertainty and that’s a pretty potent mix. The workouts help, though – feel like something positive and forward- looking. So one day, one step at a time.

      Liked by 1 person

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      1. You haven’t, I’ve just been quiet. Work and life … Sometimes they drain me so completely. I’ll be back though. Thanks for noticing 💕
        I am so happy for your news.

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  10. Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!!!!! Congratulations! I just couldn’t be more thrilled and excited for you. I know it’s just the first of many published pieces for you! You’re a great writer and it’s time the world knows it!

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    Reply

    1. Thanks so much, Maggie! High praise coming from you! I’m so happy to have found your blog – you’re a riot – your stuff always makes me laugh and I am very flattered and touched that you like my writing.

      Looking forward to your book!

      Anne

      Liked by 1 person

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