Welcome to Gully Brook Press

The website of freelance writer Gina
Giuliano

I am working on a marketing plan for my book proposal - because I think that may be what turns the "seriously considering" into an offer...and I know my proposal was very weak in this area before. This is a process, and honestly you can never revise enough, although you have to stop somewhere. That's something that takes a while to learn when you write. It always is tempting to think, wow, this is some incredible piece, no way should I ever change it. My drafts aren't bad - especially now that I compose on the computer, but everything improves with tweaking.

That being said, when I review some of my old work, although I am definitely a much more competent writer now, I have to admit that twenty years ago my perspective was fresh, and my fiction was more creative. But I still like being 40.

Anyhow - while doing some research for my marketing plan - I stumbled across this remarkable website from Philips Electronics Corporation, called Vision of the Future. It's from 1996-97, so in this rapidly changing technical world, it is old - but it is still thought-provoking and quite simply amazing.

Intruding in my writing time: a couple of students. I really lost it with one, he is so clueless and disrepectful. I probably should have made more of an effort to not let him get to me (which I'm sure is what he was trying to do, so in a way he wins - if he wasn't trying to get (negative) attention, then he is even more clueless than the word clueless implies - but this also could be true). However, I didn't subject him to public ridicule, so I don't feel all that bad. And I'm still not sure whether I managed to get my point across. Every semester is a new learning experience for me, in what some students will do to: avoid work; just get by; be rude; disdain learning; and still pass. I dream of classes that are (to use ed fad words) "learning communities," but based on my experience as a student and an instructor, for some students the hierarchical "instructor has power/students have much less or none" is the only method that works (and barely at that). Sigh. It is sad to grow cynical.

What's that? I resolved to spend time on the good students, and not so much on the bottom feeders? I know. And most students are fine, some are even brilliant, and really such a joy. But the bottom feeders are so demanding and controlling...