TOP DRAWER INK NEWSLETTER

 

Here's the latest issue of Top Drawer Ink, the newsletter written by author HL Carpenter that's chock full of humor and common sense information.

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June 20, 2009
Volume 7, Number 12
ISSN 1554-6330

In this issue:

1. Carpenter Country
2. Top Drawer Article
3. Top Drawer Tips
4. Top Drawer Satire

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CARPENTER COUNTRY
What's Happening in Our Neck of the Human Experience

 

Ah, to be a best selling mystery novelist. Here in Carpenter Country, that’s been a goal on the short one’s wish list for quite awhile.

She has lots of ideas. A closet filled with scary characters waiting to be outed. She knows her opening paragraph needs to deliver a punch-boom-wham to engage the reader. Each chapter has to have a certain rhythm to carry it forward. And the ending must wrap up all the details.

What’s more, she has a partner who can help her out if she gets stuck, who’s willing to offer suggestions on how to jazz up a protagonist or give a flat sentence pizzazz.

So, why is she procrastinating?

Because after the final draft is done, she knows she’ll need to find an agent. If the agent likes her work, it could lead to a publisher and a contract. Then there will be revisions, revisions, revisions and more revisions. And even when everything looks perfect it may take a year or more before the book is published.

During that time she’ll have to show the world who she is, why anyone might want to read her book, and that even though she isn’t famous yet, she’s at least one in a million. To do that usually means road trips, yakking with talk show hosts to drum up sales, speaking at writer’s conferences to create a name that draws interest.

It seems becoming a best selling author involves not only the art of writing – but also the art of selling yourself.

And for some that can be more daunting than finding the words to flesh out a mythical serial killer.

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TOP DRAWER ARTICLE

Money in the Bank
by
HL Carpenter

 

Here’s question one of a quick quiz: Name the most popular service charges imposed by banks.

Read the entire article here

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TOP DRAWER TIPS
Topics and Tidbits

 

Tip: Reviewing your bank’s account offerings and fees once or twice a year can save you money. Compare service charges and other transaction costs by researching similar accounts at other banks, as well as credit unions. If you do your comparison shopping on-line, be sure to phone the bank before changing accounts to make sure all fees are listed on the bank’s web site.

Glossary Term: Nonsufficient Funds (NSF). A banking term used to describe a situation when you don’t have enough money in your account to cover the checks you write and your account ends up with a negative balance.

Financial Horoscope: Hidden fees drive up the cost of everything. Protect yourself from unpleasant surprises by taking time to read the fine print. The secret to prosperity is writ small.

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TOP DRAWER SATIRE

Deep Concern
by
HL Carpenter

 

Health Alert: The disease known as Deep Concern is one shrug away from pandemic proportions. Politician-to-politician transmission has been verified by researchers at the Center of Political Nonspeak. To prevent infection, the public at large is urged to apply extreme caution when listening to government leaders.

Read the rest here