A Comment About Comments

Until recently, there was no need for me to police comments, because all you loyal readers have been incredibly supportive and professional. So for many of you, I’m preaching to the choir (sorry for the silly cliché). But just in case, it’s worth noting that I DO moderate comments and reserve the right to delete them if they fall under one of the following categories:

1. Blatant (and unrelated) marketing. It’s cool if you want to share your writing-related business, but if your product or service doesn’t relate to my blog, then don’t try to market it on my blog (yeah, I know sometimes my Adsense doesn't make sense, but we'll let that slide).


2. Threats or disparaging comments. Dissenting opinions are one thing, but if you express a strong hatred for me or the other writers I mention, that’s not cool and it’s not going on my blog.

Any questions?

Writer's Block

I was psyched a month ago when I got assigned a lengthy feature article for an arts magazine I love. But with a week until my deadline, excitement is giving way to panic. I have all my interviews done, and I’ve collected a ton of really interesting material. It’s weaving it all together into a cohesive article that is proving harder than expected. Chronological order is boring, but if I get too creative with the transitions and tangents it will impossible to follow.

See, most of my assignments are 500-1,000 words. Piece of cake. I can write those suckers in a few days (but I always wait before submitting in case some brilliant turn of phrase pops into my head, or more likely, I realize I’ve misspelled something). This assignment is for 1,500-2,500 words – my longest yet (college papers don’t count because those were all about padding and margin adjustments). The editor left it pretty open-ended, so if it’s 1,500 words, I get $X. If it’s 2,500 words, I get $X +Y. Naturally, I want $X +Y (minus the algebraic equation, of course). Not just because it would nice to pad my checking account with extra $Y, but because my subject deserves the full 2,500 words.

Therein lies the rub. I’m writing about a topic that I care about so deeply that it’s almost paralyzing. I want the article to fully capture the creative genius of my subjects, but it’s sapping my own creative genius (er, you know what I mean). I've rewritten the first 1,100 words several times because I keep worrying that it doesn't do them justice. I have this theory (and others have confirmed its validity) that some writers are sprinters and others are marathoners. Sprinters go for the quick gratification like writing front-of-book pieces and short profiles, and marathoners write novels and 10,000 word articles on the cover of New York Times Magazine. So, this week I need to decide… which one am I?

Moving, Part 2

Price of an air conditioner on Craig's List: $20
Cost of a cab ride to get air conditioner home: $20 ($6 plus a generous tip for lugging AC unit up to the third floor)
Not dying of heatstroke: priceless!

As you can imagine, not much writing has happened this weekend. Hope to be back soon!

Joys of Moving

Today I went to the bank to change my mailing address (they won't let me do it online because of security concerns). I pulled out my personal and business debit cards and handed them to the bank teller. Eying my black Visa card, he asked if my boss had authorized me to change the address on the small business debit card.

"Actually, I'm the boss. It's a sole proprietorship." Such sweet words!

You would think that having family close by would help ease the stress of moving. And you would be wrong. So things might be quieter than usual on the blog for the next week or so. I always say that and end up posting more than usual, but this time things probably will slow down for a few days. Stay tuned...

Entrepreneur Series

Several months ago, I wrote a series of entrepreneur profiles for Experience.com. They recently launched their young entrepreneur series, so I'm sharing my profiles below.

Be Jane Answers the Call of Female DIYers
Tammy Trenta Takes On the World
Tim Urban, Musician Turned Academic Mentor
Buxfer, A New Way to Budget

Of course, I loved learning about all my fabulous interview subjects, but I was especially excited when my editor gave the green light on me profiling two former Apprentice candidates (Tammy Trenta and Tim Urban). I have a bit of a celeb crush on Tim, so it was fun to chat with him, even though our plans for a face-to-face interview didn't pan out (darn!). But his charm and humor were apparent even over the phone. He shared a delightful story about his pet turtle (how could you not like someone who has a pet turtle?) and I told him about my parents' cat, who is becoming quite the world traveler.

Also published today: What's your spending style?

5 Q's with Taylor DiMeglio

These interviews have tended to focus on writing for books and magazines. But there’s a whole other world of marketing writing out there, too! This week Taylor DiMeglio shares the secrets to her marketing success. In addition to her own very cool website, she writes for Jelly Barn, Scholastic, America Online, and many other companies. Take it away, Taylor!

Urban Muse: Tell us about your first clip.
Taylor: My first clip came about when I was still a full-time Strategic Planner for an ad agency. Writing was a big part of that job, too – proposals, new business letters, qualitative research reports, strategic points of view, etc…. Article writing in the vein of positioning the agency as experts in their field, however, was usually reserved for the big wigs. I was thrilled and nervous about the assignment, which they really gave me because they were far too inundated with work to attend to it. When my boss read it, I could tell she was taken aback; it needed very little revision. When we submitted the article, it was accepted immediately without changes and placed as the ‘end note’/last page article in the magazine. I didn’t know it, but my boss told me that was a particular honor, as it was a very highly read section of the magazine. Blush!

UM: What’s your approach to marketing your business – do you seek out new clients or use word-of-mouth?
T: Lately I’ve been so busy I haven’t had time to seek anyone out, but I do subscribe to job lists, so I can post to jobs as I come across relevant ones. When things are quieter, I post ads about my services on all the free sites I can, and I submit proposals for opportunities I find on E-Lance.com or Craigslist.com. Word-of-mouth has been great, too, and it’s so nice when a client walks right in your door, isn’t it?

UM: What is your favorite genre of writing and why?
T: That’s a tricky question. I do a lot of ‘marketing writing,’ because that’s my area of expertise. As a Strategic Planner with significant experience as a qualitative consumer moderator and researcher, I am in a somewhat unique position. When someone comes to me for help with their web site, for instance, I don’t just think about what they want to communicate and how to make it sound compelling. I take it a lot further by digging into the brand or core essence of what that person/their offerings represent in connection with who they’re targeting and who they’re up against in the competitive landscape. Then I use that ‘brand core’ as a lens through which I create uniquely compelling, targeted copy. So, that’s what I do most of the time, and I thoroughly enjoy it.

However, there is another side to me that is deeply creative and yearns for more time to write randomly in the fiction or fiction-esque area. I have the entire outline of a novel that I’ve begun, for instance, yet I struggle for time to even contemplate it much less work on it. I also started a humorous piece on the writing life called, “Can Someone Help My Husband, or Tell Me Where My Coffee Is?” about the challenges of living with a writer. My poor family. I would love to find a writing partner working in the fiction genre for accountability and feedback.( If that’s you and you’re in the Hudson Valley, send me a note on what you’re doing: Taylor at The Word Taylor Dot com)

UM: You work on a lot of different types of projects (press releases, features, business plans, etc.) – how do you stay organized and prioritize projects?
T: Since most of my work is in the same vein of business/marketing writing I find that my mind is well framed to transition from one project to another. However, to manage I do two things. First, I don’t take on too many projects at a time. Since mine is an intensive strategic and creative process, I make sure I have sufficient time to become thoroughly absorbed in each one. Second, when I’m juggling more than one project I take a breather between each one. I get up, stretch, make myself a cup of coffee, anything to clear my mind, so when I return to work I can turn my mind fully to the project at hand.

UM: What is the one piece of advice that you wish you’d had earlier in your freelance writing career?
T: I just wished I’d started even sooner than I did. When I first began, I would write more or less as a favor to someone who’d discovered or heard that I had a knack for it. It took me a while to start charging and then moving into freelance writing as a full-time endeavor.

Thanks, Taylor. Check out the archives.

Taking Constructive Criticism

I dread criticism as much as everyone else. But I'm trying to get better about incorporating the good suggestions and ignoring the bad. Recently someone I admire read a piece I'd written and told me "X has got to go." I stewed for a bit, told myself that this person was missing the subtle, brilliant humor, then came to the realization that "yeah, she's right." Sayonara!

Why am I telling you this? My article on taking constructive criticism went live this morning. It's geared towards young women entering the workforce, but I think it's applicable to writers, too.

Aw, shucks!

Blog traffic really picked up today because Maria at The Writer's Perspective gave me a shout out. I'm honored to be the first addition to her new blogroll, and I wanted to thank Jenny for telling me about Project 20/20 (20 writing blogs in 20 days). If you'd like to throw your blogging hat in the ring, check out this link.

It's ironic, don't you think?

Just days after I filed my article on Taking Your First Vacation Together as a Couple, I became... un-coupled. Maybe I jinxed it by writing about it, or maybe it wasn't "smooth sailing" after all. Either way, seeing the article in print (or pixels, in this case) brings out mixed emotions. Then again, being single should certainly inspire some new and interesting article ideas, too!

5 Q's with Pamela Redmond Satran

Former Glamour editor Pamela Redmond Satran is the author of several fiction and non-fiction books and of Glamour’s famous “30 Things Every Woman Should Have and Should Know by the Time She’s 30.” Her most recent novel, titled The Home for Wayward Supermodels, came out last month.

Urban Muse: Tell us about The Home for Wayward Supermodels.
Pamela: The Home for Wayward Supermodels is the story of a girl from Wisconsin, Amanda, who takes a graduation trip to New York with her mom and gets discovered as a supermodel. At the same time, she discovers that she’s not quite who she thought she was – her real father is a French fashion photographer. Amanda is forced to grow up in a hurry but along with becoming more worldly, she becomes more generous.

The book is also a lot of fun, with lots of lists of the kind I write for my Glamour List column, and cool line drawings.

UM: Your website mentions that Supermodels is a bit of a departure for you – what inspired you to take a different direction in your writing?
P: It was actually my publisher that inspired me. A few years ago, they did a deal with Song Airlines to produce a line of books that would be sold on the plane. Great idea, right? And so my publisher asked me to write a book that would feature an 18-year-old supermodel. I had worked as a fashion editor at Glamour and so knew that world, but of course right away I started thinking about the supermodel’s mom! Ultimately, Song Airlines went out of business, but my publisher liked the book so much they decided to publish it on their own.

UM: Your daughter is also a writer, so do you critique each other’s work or do you prefer to work independently?
P: My daughter and I don’t exactly critique each other’s work but we do sometimes show each other finished drafts and bounce ideas off each other. Rory didn’t even tell me she was writing a novel until she was finished, and then instead of showing it to me, she showed it to my friend the writer Alice Elliott Dark.

My husband is a writer too, an editor at Reuters who’s been working on a historical novel for a year or so. We’re much more involved in showing each other work in progress and talking through plot twists, which is a lot of fun. But I would say he’s a little TOO accepting of whatever I write and he would say I’m too critical!

UM: Since you’ve worked as a magazine editor, any insights into what editors look for in a query?
P: I think the most important element of a query is that it’s written in the style of the finished piece, with the same voice and energy and compelling turn of phrase. You’ve got to make the editor want to keep listening to you forever – but do it in a page or two. Being familiar with the magazine is of course important so that you can pitch an idea that’s appropriate yet fresh, and supporting that idea with a bit of preliminary research can make a difference. And have lots of ideas – if an editor responds positively to a pitch but isn’t interested in that specific idea, be prepared to get back to her with another one right away, and to keep trying until you connect!

UM: Where do you do most of your writing?
P: Right now I’m sitting on a black velvet couch in my living room, which I’d say is my favorite spot. I do have a very nice office upstairs, but once I switched to a laptop I realized I wasn’t chained to my desk. The living room is by far the nicest room in our house and I never got to spend enough time here, so now I often write while lying on the couch, and when my kids come home from school, I’m right here in the middle of everything talking to them and working at the same time. But I can’t write fiction with everyone around me, only journalism!

Thanks, Pamela. If you’d like read more about Pamela, she also has a Q & A posted on her website.

I'm a guest blogger!

Check out my post about writers' forums on The Golden Pencil. An interview with Pamela Satran will be posted later this evening. Enjoy!

Interview, Take 2

One of the perks of being a writer is scheduling interviews with cute, successful twentysomething men (not that I've ever actually dated a source, but a girl can have her dreams, right?). Yesterday I had a phone interview with a young up-and-coming singer/actor whose voice can only be described as McSexy (Mom, sorry you had to read that, but it's true). We emailed and he gave me the green light to call him for an interview. When I dialed the number in his email signature line, a friendly male voice answered with "Bonjour!"

I thought he was joking around in his mysterious, exotic actor persona, so I launched into my schpiel about who I was and why I'd asked to interview him. The guy muttered something in French and hung up. I referred back to my original email in which McSexy's friend had forwarded me his contact info and realized that the signature line had two digits reversed. So I tried him again, and we had a delightful discussion about his music and future projects. I need to send him a follow-up email with a thank you note and a few more questions, and part of me wants to delicately mention the mistake (after all, other people might not have a back-up number and he could miss out on opportunities). Another part of me wants to spare him the potential embarrassment and just write the darn article. Thoughts?

Guess what?! I'm in the Globe!

My (very) short piece about passing out on the subway appears in today's Boston Globe Magazine. Finally having a weak constitution and a rather un-feminist (and medically unexplained) tendency to faint pays off!

Tech Wasteland

My apartment is basically where tech equipment goes to die. I’m on computer #3 since starting college. I’ve also had 3 iPods (miraculously, one was a replacement courtesy of Apple), and my current one keeps freezing whenever I plug it into my computer. They say that some people are just not good with technology, and unfortunately I am one of those people.

My most recent tech disaster? Loosing wifi just two weeks before I move into a new apartment. Technically I can pick up other wireless signals so I know that my wireless card is working. But since I’m paying for a secure network, I prefer to use that rather than stealing some spotty unreliable signal from down the street.

I called RCN tech support and they instructed me to do all of the things that one normally does when they loose wireless (restart router, restart computer, refresh network list, rinse and repeat until you want to just throw computer out the window instead ). Part of my job is IT project management (ha!), so I felt like “yes, of course I restarted my computer, no, I don’t need to do it again!” Eventually the support person got sick of me and told me to call Linksys.

Spent an hour on hold with Linksys, got disconnected, called back and went through the same song and dance with their tech support people. After two long, frustrating hours, they concluded that I need to call RCN and get a new router. That same day I got a bill from RCN saying they had raised my monthly bill to $100 for wireless that I can’t even access! AND when I move out in two weeks, I have two days to schlep out to the ‘burbs and return my useless router before they bill my credit card. You know what? I’ve waited on hold into the wee hours of the morning, and I’ve had enough. I’m stealing whatever spotty unreliable signal I can get from down the street! Hence, my posts may be a little spotty and unreliable over the next few weeks.

Work It!

I've been waiting awhile to use that catchy little title, so here are my newest articles on Works by Nicole Williams:

• Entrepreneurial Spotlight on Spark Craft Studios: I am a HUGE fan of this adorable little craft studio and boutique in Cambridge. This is actually the second article I've written about the founders (the first being a local profile for a magazine in the area that is now defunct). Gotta love repackaging those story ideas!
• Being the New Girl in Your Office: Admittedly, this piece is semi-autobiographical about my experiences starting a new job and yes, I do have a soft spot for nerdy computer guys (not the ones I work with, of course), but no, I did not write the part about "that cute guy in IT" or about "trailer parks" (no offense to anyone who lives in one or those who work in IT). In case you missed my prequel article on leaving a job, here's a link to that one, too.

5 Q's with Gwendolen Gross

Just yesterday Gwendolen Gross published her third novel, titled The Other Mother. It’s about two women who live next door to each other but lead very different lives (one works as a children’s book editor and the is a stay at home mom). So far it’s gotten great reviews, so here are Gwendolen’s insights into the publishing world.

Urban Muse: Your website calls you the “reigning queen of women’s adventure fiction.” What exactly IS “women’s adventure fiction”?
Gwendolen: Joanna Smith Rakoff wrote a wonderful article about women’s adventure fiction in BOOK magazine—I’m not sure I can sum it up quickly, but one reviewer referred to GETTING OUT as “into thin air with lipstick,” which I love. The idea is that adventure and introspection and the conquering of inner demons and outer limits isn’t reserved for men—but that there aren’t enough books about it for and by women.

In high school and college I was extremely adventurous—in travels, backpacking, rock climbing (I went on almost all the trips my narrator, Hannah Blue, does, in GETTING OUT, and I studied fruit bats in the Australian rainforest like Annabel in FIELD GUIDE), which gave me both a frame for live and a frame for fiction, when I started writing in earnest. Now I’m writing more domestic fiction (like THE OTHER MOTHER, which releases August 7th), but there are still adventures to be had in the strip of woods in the suburbs, or in the houses themselves.

UM: You’ve worked in publishing and one of the main characters in your new novel is a book editor. How much of that story is drawn from your own life?
G: To be honest, THE OTHER MOTHER is the least autobiographical of the three—though there are parts of me in each of the narrators, you probably could never guess which parts. I suppose what matters to me most in writing fiction is finding and illustrating truths (versus facts, which can be very boring)—the things that matter to me about how people relate, how we grow, how we accept or change who we are and what we believe. But it all needs a frame—a point of reference. And as a fiction writer you get to choose the whole world.

I’ve gotten kind of far away from the question. I do, like Amanda, have a Franklin Day Planner!

UM: How do you combat writer’s block?
G: Being a mom means I don’t have time to have writer’s block. I believe in writing practice (Natalie Goldberg, Judy Reeves…lots of pioneers in writing freedom), that is, even when I’m not in the middle of something, I write during my work days (when I have work days available!). I take topics from books, invent topics, give myself assignments. Writing practice (which I also teach) usually helps me find what’s next, what’s going to be important in my next novel, or the characters to populate the next world.

UM: What is your favorite book (aside from ones you’ve written)?
G: Just one? Eek! I love LAURIE COLWIN. Love, love, love her. Domestic fiction at its best. I also was a HOBBIT lover from way back (before it was cool)—my dad read us all the Tolkien out loud when we were kids on vacations. It had a huge influence on me, even though my writing is very different. Amy Bloom’s short stories, Alice Munroe, Grace Paley. Sorry, that’s a lot more than one.

UM: Any tips for first-time novelists?
G: Write because you have to, write because you need to. Do the writing, the revising, the making meaning of the world. Then worry about publishing, and when you do, make it business. Do your research; there are a thousand books at least on publishing, and you should read them before you rush out trying to get your manuscript into the right hands. Write a great query, get an agent. Don’t ever stop loving the writing, or it’s not worth it, it’s just too tough a business. Sorry to say, there’s no secret handshake. That said, I think all great books will eventually get published, even if the authors have to be dead first. Oh, or else be famous. That helps a lot.

Thanks, Gwendolen, and good luck with the book!

One of "those days"

I took today off so I could recover from my trip to DC and take a writing class with a certain essayist whom I admire. Despite landing an hour late last night, I woke up frighteningly early this morning (purely out of habit) and I managed to make breakfast, wash two loads of laundry, and visit my favorite used book store before class. I put on a short denim skirt and wandered around campus feeling like a young, bright-eyed co-ed with all the time in the world to sit in coffee shops and muse over Milton.

Until I got to class and realized that I hadn't printed out three copies of an essay to share with the class. Then it really felt like college again! Luckily, instead of putting a big red X by my name, the instructor agreed to let me print a copy in the office (I have entire volumes of writing stored in Gmail). But I really, desperately wanted to make a good impression on this woman, so I spent most of the next two hours thinking "gosh, you really blew it, Susan!" Note to self: always bring writing samples to a writing class. Duh!

Writing 101

I'm visiting a pal from college this weekend, so I haven't been updating as regularly as I (probably) should. If you're looking for a writing fix in my absence, check out Lori Widmer's series on writing for beginners (there's some good stuff for veterans, too):

Get a Job!
Query Letter, Part 1
Query Letter, Part 2
The Follow-Up
The Price is Right

Random Writings

I generally try to post writing clips around an overall theme. This time the theme is "articles that I'm just now getting around to scanning at my parent's place." Someday I hope to have a house with a yard, a closet that is larger than a postage stamp, and a high-quality scanner. Until then, it's nice to know that I have Mom and Dad. Here are some new(ish) articles...

A Pretty New Package* Brookline magazine, May 2007
Do You Owe Me Money? Young Money magazine, June/July 2007

*PS Those very stylish photos are by yours truly!

5 Q's with Amanda Pressner

Amanda Pressner has one of the coolest writing websites I’ve seen. The collage of images reminds me of cutting out magazine clips and pasting them to my locker (and many other surfaces) during middle and high school. She’s just returned from a fabulous year of travel with the “Lost Girls,” so I’m sure she’ll have a lot to talk (and write) about. Read on…

Urban Muse: First of all, your website looks fantastic and you have a really diverse set of clips. How do you brainstorm for story ideas?
Amanda: Thanks for the compliment! A friend of mine helped me to build a very basic site which allows editors to view or print full sized clips quickly and easily. I believe it's important for all freelancers, both new and experienced, to establish an online presence. Even if you just post a few clips, a resume and contact information, that puts you ahead of the game. As for story ideas, well, I almost always get them through casual conversation with family, friends and colleagues. By asking questions about people's day-to-day lives and interests (and being a good listener), I often come across great bits of information that can turn into a story. For example, after listening to several girlfriends lament that guys they met were asking them out for the first time—or breaking up with them—using SMS text messaging, it sparked an idea: How is this relatively new digital technology affecting the ages old institution of dating? Once I'd done some preliminary interviews and constructed a pitch, I sent the idea to an editor at USA Today….and received my first assignment with that paper. Another example: I recently met a British man who worked for a dating website in Australia. It was his job to study the differences between what British singles consider important in a partner (good looks, financial stability, family values, etc) versus what Australians indicate they're looking for. I thought this would make an interesting idea for an article—how our romantic priorities differ between countries, and how that might influence a person's online dating success.

UM: You've freelanced for Cosmo, Self and many other markets that can be tough for freelancers to crack. Any hints on breaking in?
A: If you're just starting out and looking to break into the major women's glossies, I definitely recommend sticking to front of book pitches. Send those ideas to junior to mid-level editors, as they are often the ones who assign smaller items (and I've found a bit more open to working new writers). Since each magazine has a different FOB style, format your pitches to work with the tone and format. Most of the heath and fitness magazines rely on scientific research to fuel their pages, so try to send queries pegged to a brand new study. As most women's magazines subscribe to the major research journals, mining the smaller ones for new information can definitely increase your chances of an assignment. I personally prefer to send all pitches via email…paper queries often end up in a pile that never gets seen again! Send three highly-targeted ideas per email and don't forget to follow up. As an editor, I was truly amazed at how few people called or wrote to remind me that they'd submitted a pitch. Don't be afraid to give a gentle nudge.

UM: Leaving your friends and writing contacts in NYC to become a "Lost Girl" is a pretty gutsy move! Have you been able to keep writing or are you more focused on experiencing things in the moment?
A: When I first left the US, I was determined to pitch story ideas via email and perhaps even break further into my dream market—travel magazines. I soon realized though, that trying to work from the road, especially from third-world countries can be a monumental and frustrating task! In the beginning, I found myself getting stressed out by the painfully slow internet connections, poor phone service and the difficulty in completing research. Since we were always on the move to a new place, I ended up spending a lot of my time running around trying to find an internet café where I could write up and send pitches. About three months into the trip, I realized that trying to freelance from the road was actually interfering with my enjoyment of my round-the-world trip—not to mention driving my traveling companions nuts! I decided to put down the computer and pick up the pen; rather than pitching, I took copious notes on the people I met and places that I visited. Doing this made a huge impact on the adventure—I felt like I was living in the moment rather than back home in New York. Now that I'm finally returning to the United States, I'm looking forward to sending out all of those queries…with a high-speed internet connection!

UM: Any tips on staying connected while traveling? What places are the most (or least) Internet-friendly?
A: Well, there's definitely something to be said for being disconnected. The internet in Myanmar is so heavily regulated by the government that you can't access your web-based email, so I ended up having a very enjoyable "forced" vacation from staying in touch while I was there. Most countries aren't so strict, though. Highly touristed spots such as Thailand and Australia, tend to have an internet café on every corner and you can check your email, pay bills on line and keep up with your life at home for as little as a buck an hour. Countries that are just developing their tourism structure, such as Peru and Laos seem to have just as many cafes, but be prepared for a slower-than-dial up connection. If you're planning to do a lot of work or writing from the road, definitely bring a small, lightweight laptop, such as the Panasonic Toughbook (it weighs just over two pounds). You can do your work offline on the computer, then transfer the work to jump drive/memory stick and send it out at any internet café. Just make sure you've loaded Norton Antivirus onto your laptop—it's extremely easy to pick up a virus via your jump drive and transfer it to your computer. Norton will help keep things clean and your work safe.

UM: What is your favorite place you've visited thus far?
A: Oh man…that's like asking me to pick a favorite kid! Well, the top three on my list were Laos (in Southeast Asia), New Zealand and Brazil . I absolutely loved how beautiful and friendly the locals were in Laos, and since it's not flooded with tourists like Thailand and Vietnam, you can actually get an authentic cultural experience. New Zealand is truly one of the most gorgeous places on earth and great place to do a road trip—every bend in the road affords a view more beautiful than the last. And we discovered that few people celebrate life like the Brazilians—there's always music playing, kids laughing and people dancing. And, never in our lives have we seen so many incredibly fit men flaunting their goods on the beach. No complaints here!

Thanks, Amanda. Also check out the 5 Q's archives.