One more time for those in the cheap seats...

I read all of my messages. Many are mysteries. How often do you get one word messages, “hello” and nothing else?

Never mind the LinkedIn “professionals” that pay for access and likely send out a giant net for traction when the task at hand would be better served by a harpoon.

school of fish swimming showing coral reefs and the sea

My least favorite even when compared to the carnival barkers wanting to sell me promotional reels for speaking, courses to learn to speak to big audiences, data analytics services — yeah, what? — are requests for “free” things.

Ummm…my fridge doesn’t fill on free. Don’t get me wrong, I am generous. But I am also the decider, the “one who knocks” so to speak.

Every six people I offer to help, maybe one says thanks in a meaningful way. I don’t do it for accolades but you sort of imagine the scorched earth these people have left on their path to steal your time and expertise.

Jane Friedman is a voice you should be listening to if you are a writer — and aren’t we all? Jane taught me years ago in a conversation at the Press Club in DC and most recently in a writing enclave in Baltimore that we need to be Swiss army knives. I like this metaphor. Just stabby enough to keep me on my toes.