by Chila Woychik (pronounced "Sheila Y-check" - say it wrong and you'll be kissin' a splintered plank, ya scurvy sea dog ...)

1-12-12

I think best while cruising down the interstate alone, with no one to infringe on my mental frenzies and offbeat machinations, and no piles of laundry in sight.  A bottle of fresh water is a plus.

While zipping along 380 N toward Waterloo recently, I began to think about this little e-rag, and my dreams for it. I came up with ideas for what I'd like to see.  Here's what came of those "machinations":

• Variety - I want the new, the fresh, and the vibrant.  And although many writing rules are old, dating back to the start of time and writing tools, as with everything else, times change. New experiences and societal growth demand we keep up with those changes. Linguistics is a case in point. Words that were seldom heard in the public square even a few decades ago are now common verbiage for just about any application.  The business of publishing is another example.  Changes, some good, some questionable, happen daily now thanks to burgeoning technology and heights of innovation only previously imagined. To stay fresh, we have to stay current.

        I find that ingredient - freshness - in Traci Tyne Hilton's article, The Brand Is The Thing.  Traci's intelligent and challenging multi-media column perfectly reflects my vision for Beyondaries Ezine:  that which goes beyond.

• Integrity - This refers to a strength in the quality of our articles, authors, and interviews. It evinces a promise of dependability that when you visit these pages, you'll walk away with the necessary gear to help you in your writing journey. New faces, knowledgeable guests, updated information.  These elements insure integrity in our cause.  
  

        We're here with no other agenda than to help you learn to write better.  We have no designs to sell you anything, whether books or brands, politics or religion.  Let's. Learn. To. WRITE.  (Disclaimer:  though of course each contributor will undoubtedly sell themselves based on the quality of their articles and the quantity of their personal links ... ;) )

• Value - Your time is valuable.  So is ours.  I hope each time you visit, you'll leave with more to think about, another tool or two to help you become a better writer, reader, illustrator, or even a more interesting member of the human race.

        If we want to do what we do, write, to the best of our ability, then I hope Beyondaries will help you achieve that in the few or many moments you pour over these epages. I hope you'll never find a post that after having read it, you say, well that was a grand waste of my time.  

Not so daring, this first entry. But give me another issue or so; I'm sure to find something to rail at in the days ahead, and I'm all about righting wrongs.  Whether it's in the realm of writing, or some other misconstrued, mishandled, or belittled aspect of life, I'll undoubtedly find something to ply my energies toward fixing.

Now, it's your turn.  Leave me a note on the blog tab (far right in the header bar) and tell me what you want to see in this 'zine, who you'd like me to try to snag for an interview or guest column, how you're being challenged in your own writing and how it's improved in the past few months.  Got an article accepted?  A book contract, or an editor lingering over your hard-won words? Share your successes with me.  I'd love nothing more than to hear them. ~BE

~Chila
Next time: The Essence of All Art