Tag: Blog (Page 8 of 14)

Why Thanksgiving is My Favorite Holiday (ignore my crappy image)

November 21, 2016 / elizabethdohertyauthor

My friends all make fun of me because I am the nerd who likes Thanksgiving best out of all of the holidays. I’m told that I should like Christmas or Halloween: there’s more to do, more celebration, but I like that there’s less hubbub around Thanksgiving. Maybe I like being a little different.

#Broadway: What I Saw And Loved November 2016

November 16, 2016 / elizabethdohertyauthor

I got to New York City a few times a year (lucky me!) to get last minute tickets to however many shows I can in whatever time I have. I’ve been doing this a long time and have seen dozens of Broadway and off-Broadway shows. Last week, I made a journey there, where I caught three wonderful shows.

Finding my blog brand

November 9, 2016 / elizabethdohertyauthor

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Every person I talked to told me that it is key for authors to start a blog. And more than that, it is key for authors to have a blog with a BRAND. A reason for people to keep coming back for more. I’ve been searching for my brand for years now. Every time I think I’ve found it, I figure out something else I want to blog about. So far, my brand is: lists. Not even good lists. Silly lists. Stupid lists. Maybe I do need to find a bran to stick to. I’m not sure yet. But I’ve been thinking about it a lot. Do I want to…

The best non-Halloween Halloween movies

October 31, 2016 / elizabethdohertyauthor

I really like Halloween. When I was a kid, I didn’t like candy, but I loved getting dressed up and trick-or-treating. I love the costumes and the details. However, I am not a fan of Halloween movies. Everyone I know has one (or in the case of my brother, tons) of Halloween movies that they can watch again and again. With the exception of Young Frankenstein, I’ve never really had a Halloween movie. So today I am writing about alternative Halloween movies. Movies that showcase some kind of change, but without the Halloween aspect.

My favorite bar trivia team names that I’ve heard

October 25, 2016 / elizabethdohertyauthor

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Beer Me Up Scottie – Yes, I’m a nerd.
Spellcheck is My Enema – Yes, I’m a nerd who loves puns.
Ale to the Chief – And a presidential nerd.
Stephen Hawking’s School of Dance – I might be an awful person too.
Brew’s On First – Can you really go wrong with beer meets Abbott and Costello?
The Beer Necessities – Okay, my dad is REALLY good at punny team names.
Trump/Palin 2016 – Because SOMEONE has to bring up my worst nightmare.
Anne Frank’s Hide and Seek – Again, I am a terrible person.
We’re Not Ashamed of What I Did for a Klondike Bar – But I am.
You’re a Quizzard, Harry – Because Harry Potter references ALWAYS win.

Have you heard any good team names lately? What would you name your team? (Yes, this is a copout blog, but there are some major Harry Potter fesitivities happening in a few days. I’ll blog about them.

My favorite LOTR characters: teenage years vs. adult years

October 11, 2016 / elizabethdohertyauthor

My Top 5 Favorite TV Politicians of All-Time

September 27, 2016 / elizabethdohertyauthor

In the midst of this election season, this history teacher/pop culture junkie would like to share with you her top 5 favorite TV politicians of all time.

5. Selina Meyer of Veep. This woman is fantastic. I mean, yes. She’s kind of inept. Hilariously so. But she’s passionate and hysterical, and whenever I am dreading real-life politics, she is a train wreck that I can always watch and cheer myself up.

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Four reasons I’m terrified to publish my book

September 21, 2016 / elizabethdohertyauthor

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The reasons I am turning in my blog late this week

September 15, 2016 / elizabethdohertyauthor

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The dog ate my computer…
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The best things to keep in mind when setting a daily writing goal

September 6, 2016 / elizabethdohertyauthor

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According to an amateur writer, anyway.

Remember your limits. If you’re like me, someone fidgety and and busy (I’m a teacher, I just moved, and I like spending time with my family), then sometimes you have a hard time finding the time to write. Sometimes, the other parts of your brain take over the part that is supposed to be creative. Sometimes you’re writing. If this sounds like you, don’t tell yourself you’re going to write 5,000 a day. You’re allowed to have a life. Go and live it! (It’s ultimately going to be a huge help in your writing.)
Set your daily goal on the low side. Mine is at 1,000 words. To some people that might be a lot, to others it might be pretty short. For me, it’s a reachable goal. A long sprint, or two short 500 word sprints. I’ve tried 2,000 words (too much some days), 500 words (too short some days). It took a lot of trial and error, but I’ve got it. I know I can write more, but it’s a nice place for me to stop if I need to. I beat myself up when I don’t reach my daily goal, and I feel awesome when I surpass it. The lower writing goal helps me feel better about what I’m writing.
Be proud, no matter how much you’ve written. Not everyone can or wants to write. Did you only write 100 words? That’s 100 more words than you wrote yesterday. There are sentences that did not exist yesterday, and you made them. You didn’t reach your writing goal but you locked your keys in the car? You need a nap? You want to spend time with your friends? Do it. Relax. You wrote. That is amazing. In the famous words of Stephen Sondheim, “Look, I made a hat, where there never was a hat.”