Wednesday, September 3, 2014

IWSG: Making up my Mind



Many thanks to Alex J. Cavanaugh and his awesome team who keep IWSG running each month, for the hop, at the website, and on facebook! You rock!

Insecurity this month: Making up my mind.

Seriously, I have written three four IWSG posts in the last week. And then, erased them and started over again.

I can't seem to make up my mind about blog posts these days.

It seems like there's a trend (or at least I've been reading the posts within this trend) of questioning/analyzing blog post content and making some changes.

I think that taking stock and making changes when they are needed is good.

I just can't seem to make up my mind about which changes need to happen, and how I'm going to put them into action.

However, there is a call to action that has stirred up a fire in me recently.

C. Lee Mckenzie of The Write Game brought attention to a literacy campaign that she started on twitter, and then this forced me to take a good look at illiteracy statistics in the United States.

32 million adults in the USA can't read?! Whoa. How did I miss that? What can I/we do about it?

I haven't made up my mind on every action idea swirling around in my very small brain (feeling like Winnie the Pooh in a muddle), but I can advocate literacy as a start.

Would you be willing to do that too?

It doesn't take much, just a tweet, a post, a shout out/comment.

C. Lee even provided some easy copy and paste tweets:

30 min of reading to a child each week=literacy & love of reading @WeWrite4U_Lit

Don’t give kids a sucker. Give them a book. Make reading valuable @WeWrite4U_Lit

Learn to read. Read to learn. @WeWrite4U_Lit

Get books into homes. Create readers. @WeWrite4U_Lit

Children who can’t read can’t contribute to society. @WeWrite4U_Lit

Read aloud to your kids. Make it dramatic. Make it fun. Create readers. @WeWrite4U_Lit
32 million adults in the U.S. couldn’t read  2013 @WeWrite4U_Lit (FYI citation:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/06/illiteracy-rate_n_3880355.html)
academic failure and delinquency, violence, and crime is welded to reading failure@WeWrite4U_Lit (FYI citation:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/06/illiteracy-rate_n_3880355.html)
$225 billion or more each year in non-productivity in the workforce@WeWrite4U_Lit (FYI citation: http://www.literacypartners.org/literacy-in-america/impact-of-illiteracy)


What's your insecurity this month?

Would you be willing to join C. Lee, myself, and others in advocacy for literacy?


And . . . if you are interested, I'm having a Goodreads Giveaway for Champion in Flight!


Goodreads Book Giveaway

Champion in Flight by Tyrean Martinson

Champion in Flight

by Tyrean Martinson

Giveaway ends September 26, 2014.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
Enter to win


Plus, Champion in Flight is in the running for "Best Kickbutt Main Character" and "Most Evil Villian" at Indie Recon Live! If you could stop by and vote, that would be awesome! (You can vote once every 24 hours . . . and yes, that is what is called an utterly shameless plug.)

Best Kickbutt Main Character

Most Evil Villain








33 comments:

Miranda Hardy said...

Those statistics are scary! It still amazes me how many people can't read, which is so valuable.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I voted for you!
That's a lot of people who can't read.
I don't often second guess my blog posts. Maybe I should? Or maybe ignorance is bliss?

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

It's good to step back once in awhile and re-evaluate what we're doing, how we're doing it, etc.

I can't imagine my life without reading and my love for it!

Madeline @ The Shellshank Redemption

A. B. Keuser said...

Oof! 32 million... I'm staggered.
Good luck with your votes!

Melissa said...

It amazes me how many people can't read. How does this happen in a modern world?

IWSG #179 until Alex culls the list again.

Tyrean Martinson said...

Yes, the statistics are frightening! Reading is incredibly valuable.

Tyrean Martinson said...

Thanks, Alex! And yes, it is a lot of people who can't read.
And no, don't second guess your posts, Alex - they're great!

Tyrean Martinson said...

I can't imagine my life without it either!

Tyrean Martinson said...

Me too . .
And thanks!

Tyrean Martinson said...

I don't understand how it happens either, but I think it's something we can all address.
Thanks for stopping by!

Unknown said...

I'm lucky both my kids love to read. My son prefers graphic novels, but I consider it reading just the same. I don't know how adults can function nowadays without being able to read.

Juneta key said...

Voted for both your characters. I did tweet a msg too and will check the blog. I am amazed that there is that amount of illiteracy in America. I cannot imagine never reading, especially since my mother potty trained me with books, lol. They do not teach cursive writing in school anymore either, so if you cannot read I guess they think you do need to write either. My question is what is the school system advocating? Shocking.

Juneta at Writer's Gambit

Unknown said...

There's nothing wrong with a shameless plug (I voted for you!). And gosh, those stats are daunting. I had no idea. But I agree that it starts at home when children are young. We have to encourage them to read.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

I will go vote in just a second.

I need to start Tweeting about the illiteracy.

Natalie Aguirre said...

Yes, that's sad. I'm hoping to work with elementary kids on reading when I retire, which isn't so many years away.

Tyrean Martinson said...

I know how you feel on both counts, David. I'm thankful my kids love to read, and yes, I think graphic novels count. :) I don't know how anyone can live life fully without reading.

Tyrean Martinson said...

Thanks for the votes, Juneta! And for the tweets!
I am amazed by the rate of illiteracy too. I think the schools are overwhelmed and their are multiple issues surrounding illiteracy.

Tyrean Martinson said...

Thanks, Quanie!
I had no idea either. Starting at home really helps, but I think there's still some good chances for teens and adults that are struggling with reading.

Tyrean Martinson said...

Thanks, Diane!
I think tweeting is a good place for all of us to start. :)

Tyrean Martinson said...

That's a great retirement goal, Natalie!

Fundy Blue said...

Thanks for addressing this important issue! The stats are scary. Reading to small children and making it pleasurable is so important. I have spent much of my adult life advocating for literacy. Some of the best times in my life have been spent reading to children.

Jay Noel said...

Schools are big on reading, and my kids have to read 25 minutes each night. It's a good thing.

It's amazing how many adults in this country can't even read a newspaper.

I wouldn't worry about over analyzing blog posts. All that hoopla is a bunch of bull. Just write whatever comes to mind. Even if your thoughts are scattered. Readers love honesty.

Tyrean Martinson said...

Reading to kids is fun! Thanks for sharing your experience, Fundy Blue!

Tyrean Martinson said...

I love that schools are big on reading!

And thanks for your encouragement and honesty about the "hoopla!"

Georgina Morales said...

Reading is such an invaluable tool. I'm glad that these days schools are paying more attention at early stages and helping kids not only at learning how to read, but at enjoying it.

shelly said...

Know how you feel about blog content. Always wondering.

Tyrean Martinson said...

Yes! Enjoying reading is the key to becoming an avid reader! :)

Tyrean Martinson said...

Good to know I'm not alone in that. :)

J.L. Campbell said...

Decisions. Decisions. I'm not posting as often these days so I don't have much of a decision to make when it's time to put up a post. Congrats on the nomination. Hope you win. Scary figures on illiteracy.

Tyrean Martinson said...

Sometimes it's nice to slow down the blog days. And thank you!

Maurice Mitchell said...

That is an amazing statistic Tyrean and a great cause.

Tyrean Martinson said...

Yes, it is definitely a scary statistic . . . and a great cause. :)

Cherie Reich said...

Already voted for you! :)

I think it's good to take stock. Of course if you're having trouble coming up with something to change, then it might mean nothing needs to be changed.