April Platform Challenge - Day 1

I’ve decided to enter Robert Lee Brewer’s first ever April Platform Challenge. Anyone want to join me?

Here's how he says it will work:

• ·      On April 1, I'll post a task for writers to complete that day. (I didn’t get April 1 until today)
• ·      Each day afterward, through the month of April, there will be a new task for writers to complete on that day.
• ·      At the end of the month, every writer who completes the challenge should have a stronger platform and be able to say they took part in the first ever April Platform Challenge.

Day 1:

Define yourself. I don't want you to worry about where you'd like to be or anything in the future. Instead, I want you to take a look at who you are, what you've done, what you're currently doing, etc. Below is a chart I'm using (with my own answers).

Here’s my information:

Name (as used in byline): Madeline Sharples

Position(s): Author of Leaving the Hall Light On (Lucky Press, 2011); Web journalist at Naturally Savvy and PsychAlive, Published poet; Writer of literary fiction; Blogger; Event Speaker.

Skill(s): Editing, creative writing (poetry, memoir, and fiction), technical writing, managing proposals, blogging, newsletter writing, problem solving, idea generation, public speaking, willingness to try new things, ability to continually reinvent myself.

Social media platforms: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Blogger, Pinterest.

URLs: http://madeline40.blogspot.com, http://redroom.com/member/madeline-sharples/blog, http://www.naturallysavvy.com/savvy-over-60, http://www.independentauthornetwork.com/madeline-sharples.html, http://www.psychalive.org/index.php?s=madeline+sharples&image.x=13&image.y=5,

www.MadelineSharples.com,

Accomplishments: Published memoir Leaving the Hall Light On (Lucky Press, 2011); Wrote the poems for two books of photography: The Emerging Goddess and Intimacy; editor of the poetry anthology: The Great American Poetry Show; worked as a technical writer and editor and proposal manager in the aerospace industry for over 28 years where I was awarded the Women of Achievement award in 2005; Volunteer at Facebook page Putting a Face on Suicide and Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services, BA in English from University of California at Los Angeles, studied journalism at University of Wisconsin.

Interests: Writing (all genres), family (I love my husband of almost 42 years and my son and his wife – I miss our older son who died in 1999), fitness (I workout every day in some way), friends, movies, reading. I have a mission to educate and make people aware of the mental illness and suicide in hopes of erasing the stigma and saving lives.

In one sentence, who am I? Madeline Sharples, married for over 42 years to Bob, is a retired technical writer/editor and proposal manager, who now works full time as a writer, specializing in memoir, fiction, poetry and blogging.