Mother-in-Law or Fairy Godmother?

March 4, 2012May 5, 2012 ~ Kana Smith ~ 45 Comments

Actually, I'm writing today about my mom-in-law and my dad-in-law, but "Fairy Godfather" just has a wrong ring on several levels... I'm getting ahead of myself, though. This is a story about the tool of my trade--the laptop--and a miraculous magical rescue. Since I took to writing full-time, I've spent anywhere from ten to twenty … Continue reading Mother-in-Law or Fairy Godmother?

A Forum on Freelancing

December 22, 2011December 22, 2011 ~ Kana Smith ~ 50 Comments

Almost four months ago my seasonal job at the Idaho State Park near our house ended with the summer. My husband Keoni and I had been tossing around the idea of NOT searching for my "next job," but doing something instead that I felt moved to do (namely, write) and treating that as though it … Continue reading A Forum on Freelancing

In Which my ‘Tab’ Key Becomes a ‘Tabby’ Key

December 7, 2011December 15, 2011 ~ Kana Smith ~ 34 Comments

"Don’t stay in bed, unless you can make money in bed." ~George Burns Burns probably had another profession in mind when he dropped that quip, but thanks to the invention of the internet and the laptop, I do get to make money from bed... as a freelance writer. And as a bonus, every day is … Continue reading In Which my ‘Tab’ Key Becomes a ‘Tabby’ Key

A Signature Quirk

November 16, 2011May 24, 2012 ~ Kana Smith ~ 56 Comments

My husband snapped this photo of my Writing "Helper" this evening--and aside from Her Royal Cuteness, what made me smile at this picture was the background view of my own closet. Notice anything goofy about it? I'll give you a hint: if the lighting were better, everything in that closet would show up in some … Continue reading A Signature Quirk

Breaking my own Rules: Observations from the NaNoWriMo Lab Notebook

November 15, 2011December 4, 2011 ~ Kana Smith ~ 49 Comments

So I signed up for NaNoWriMo this year—the Extreme Writing Event wherein crazed participants skip sleeping for the month of November and work to turn out a 50,000 word novel in 30 days… And those of you who have been reading here for a few weeks know that I pledged not to blog about the … Continue reading Breaking my own Rules: Observations from the NaNoWriMo Lab Notebook

Confessions of a Statistics Slut

November 10, 2011December 3, 2011 ~ Kana Smith ~ 46 Comments

Hi, my name is Kana, and I'm a stats-aholic. I admit it. I look at my blog stats a lot. It's the feel-good-fix for which I don't want to go to Anonymous meetings. Unlike alcohol (for which I DO go to meetings), my stats addiction doesn't turn me Stupid. (At least, I don't think it … Continue reading Confessions of a Statistics Slut

The Mom-Handbook [you never got]

November 3, 2011July 11, 2012 ~ Kana Smith ~ 20 Comments

Thank you for your purchase of Mom's-in-Trouble version 1.0, more commonly referred to as Your First Child. The hidden fees and additional costs of this Application will quickly become apparent, beginning with the bill you will shortly be receiving from the hospital... Downloading this App: Simply connect to a wi-fi hotspot, click "download," and wait … Continue reading The Mom-Handbook [you never got]