I visited my first Willamette Writers group meeting in Eugene last night. I was a little nervous to walk in alone and meet new people. But, it went very well. I met a fellow writer and we chatted about our cats. The group seemed to be very open to new members.

Our speaker, Melinda Dille, offered her story on the path to publishing her book. I learned a lot from the speaker. I connected with what she said, and enjoyed her stories. She went through her process of publishing from beginning to end. It took over a year for the whole process, with a lot of work involved.

Melinda gave us a few tips on the publishing process:

Put it out there - it doesn't have to be perfect or complete
Don't judge it or yourself
Let your editor help you but also, stick up for yourself if it's something important
Don't stop - don't let setbacks get you down
Be patient
Write what you know
Again, I hear the story of my life - be patient. As I drove home from Eugene, my mind was full! I wished I could download my brain. I sang to the music and my thoughts seemed to be going as fast as I travelled! I formed a complete idea of what I could write a book about. I just hope I can continue with my ideas. I am so inspired! I am a writer at heart!

Thank you Melinda Dille!

Visit her website - Tales From the Dog Park

Today it is sunny and feels like spring in the Willamette Valley. The sun is warm and it's almost 60 F! It feels like spring is here, although we still have all month before spring actually begins. These are the kind of days that give us hope in Oregon, for spring and summer to come. We have made it through the cold, wet, dark winter and we can start to enjoy the great outdoors once again!

Currently, I am the Feature Writer for Meteorology & Climatology at Suite101.com, which means I am required to produce one 400-600 word article on a weather or climate subject per week. I also need to write one blog a week. Sometimes these requirements can be a handful, as I am busy with work and other things. But other times I get on a roll and produce several articles a day! It’s hard to tell when I will be the most creative or productive. I try to keep a running list of articles and topics.

I also try to write outside of weather and climate because those articles tend to pay better and have more visitors. Sometimes I will hit the jackpot with an article on a very popular topic. It’s great to see the high page views, with corresponding revenue.

So, right now, my writing habits are hit or miss. I would like to do most of my writing on the weekends with a set apart amount of time for it. But in reality, I’m not sure that is feasible. So, it is a goal of mine to develop a habit of writing, or to set aside a time for writing when I can let my creative thoughts run without being interrupted or busy with other things.

Last week, after feeling frustrated about not being able to write as often as I wanted to, I decided to join a local writers group. I found information on the Willamette Writers Group and decided to join. I received the monthly newsletter on Friday and eagerly read through its contents.

I am excited to get more involved with writing, getting back to doing what I love. My first meeting with the Willamette Writers group is this week. I hope to learn the tricks of publishing my own work, generating more article queries, and learning how to think up interesting new article ideas.

There are so many different types of clouds. I'm amazed at how many different kinds there are to identify, if you look closely. Just today I saw about 3 different types of clouds. The day started out with low-lying clouds and then by lunch it was almost clear. Near the end of the day, the cloud cover increased as the stratocumulus clouds rolled in. Here is a picture I took just before sunset.
Read my article on the 10 types of clouds by clicking here:
Cloud Types .

Spring pollen can cause major problems for allergy sufferers. Tree and grass pollen are the biggest culprits, causing stuffy noses and itchy eyes. Weather is a factor in how severe the spring pollen season is. By looking back at the freeze dates from winter, we can determine how bad the pollen season will be.

Since we are being affected by La Nina this year, we have had a colder winter, in most parts of the US. The fact that it has been colder, might be good news for those with allergies.

Read the article here: Spring Pollen Forecast