No Giving Up

I spent tonight writing, but it was writing a paper for my Statistical Research class - blah! My brain hurts from the tedium of it all! It's horrid! For some reason, my brain just doesn't work on that wave length. However, the good news is that this was my final stint for Statistics, I can finish it up tomorrow, turn it in and be DONE! Then it's on to my HR Management class, which will hopefully be much more interesting than Statistical Research methods.

Countdown is on to completing school though! Five months... I remember when those 60 weeks seemed like it would never be over, but I'm just a semester of credits away from graduating! Woohoo!!

"Let us not become weary in doing good,

for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

~Gal. 6:9~

Step Two: More Info and Sanity...

Finding information on writing and getting published is definitely not hard in this day and age of overwhelming technology. There is more information out there than I can even begin to process, or have the time to process. I could sit here for hours and read and read and find more and more information, and then whammo, my friend Denise (see her blog Life With Four Boys), sends me an amazing blog by Michael Hyatt, CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers, and it has even more information. What I LOVE about this blog, was the post she sent me... http://michaelhyatt.com/2010/01/six-keys-to-achieving-big-goals.html (Mr Hyatt's blog hit home by touching on - doing hard things, running a half marathon (which I have committed to do this year with my sister), and writing (my current passion and stressor) all of which have been in my blog and on my mind as of recently).

So besides searching for information, I realized that once people know what you want, they will also help you find information that you need. They will also send you that very needed word of encouragement just when you think you've jumped from normalcy into the back of a wagon headed to Crazy Town with a quick stop in Never-Neverland. I have to thank my good friends Cheryl and Kari for making me realize I am NOT CRAZY....

I think my next step, thanks again Denise, is going to be signing up for a writer's conference. However, I do have to share that Denise told me to take copy of my book and business cards, and of course my response to her is "what business cards?" The idea absolutely terrified and horrified me to my very bones... I'm seriously supposed to have a business card (not sure why that scared me more than the BOOK)? I think I am in way over my head and buried in the deepest depths of the quicksands of overachieving... I told Denise I would make up some business cards alright, and they are going to say:

Valerie Slaughter

Unpublished with Big Dreams

Courage

"What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?"

~Vincent Van Gogh~

And maybe this is what I've been lacking all along, a little bit of courage. Or a combination of what some would call heart, guts, determination, motivation and then that bit of cowardly lion syndrome to top it all off....

Baby Steps...

So my first step on this journey of figuring out if a writer I may someday be, is doing a little bit of research. I've been reading my online friend, Cheryl Pickett's blog: http://publishinganswers.blogspot.com and I have found some very helpful information. If you are interested in all at writing or publishing, she has a lot of answers and info!

Since my true passion has always been children's literature, I loved this quote, which I found on her blog...

"No book is worth reading at the age of 10 which is not equally & often far more worth reading at age 50 & beyond"— C.S. Lewis

I would agree with this quote, as most of my favorite books, the books I can quote and remember, are children's books. Maybe that is just because after having three kids that I've read a few of them hundreds of times each, but nonetheless, they are memorable. And part of me wishes I had little babies to keep reading them too. Remember "Love You Forever"... my oldest loved that book, and we used to read it ALL the time, and I read it to the other two kids as well, but now, who do I read a book to about a mother climbing into her grown son's window and rocking him to sleep?

I also found the below link, which I did remember most of the information from a class in children's literature that I took at WMU "fourscore and seven years ago"... or something like that, maybe eon's ago would be better, simply said a LONG time ago, when I thought for sure I'd be writing for a living, I had a class... Anyway, it was good to reread a lot of the information on the facts of the actual book construction itself of a children's book. http://editorialanonymous.blogspot.com/2008/10/basic-book-construction.html

A better question, why am I blogging this stuff? Well, for me, I am a very unorganized individual. Yes, I admit, that I have never, ever in my life been able to stay on an organized "plan" for anything. I start books, and journals, planners, etc... but unless I hold myself accountable through some other means, it all just disappears. Those planners become lost beneath a pile of clutter, usually "stuff" that needs to be added to the planner, the planner then ceases to have a pen touch it's fine surface after a few weeks and remains blank for the remainder of the year... Bad, I know. Very, very bad... Like running, I have my sister to make me accountable. I tell her I want to run, she sends me a training plan, and she holds me too it. So for writing, well, I'm trying to be organized and maybe by blogging the links I find, it will help to at least be able to find them in the future!

So there they are, my baby steps into the grand adventure of figuring out what I want to be when I grow up....

Writing Blog

My "Aunt Val" or should I say my mom's best friend and my namesake, just emailed me this blog that her son wrote. Just thought I would share, as it was something I really needed to read, and something that hit home, especially after just blogging about this yesterday.

So, without further ado, and for your writing and reading pleasure....

http://www.thirdcoastmagazine.com/blog/

Enjoy!

I Want to Be a Writer

Well, in the face of looking for a new job, or even a new career, and on the verge of finishing my bachelor's degree (finally.....), I realized that when I had a Journalism major and a Creative Writing minor about 15 years ago, that the average salaries of journalists in the area should not have scared me away. Granted, while looking online today, those salaries don't seem to have increased much in fifteen years; however, how does one get their foot in the door without that degree and that dirt poor salary experience?

It is just a tad frustrating to realize that "what I want to be when I grow up" hasn't really changed in fifteen years. I've always wanted to be a writer, it's just one of those "where do I start" and "how do I get started" issues. I've spent hours, literally, pouring over online sites for the freelance writer, for the children's book writer, and I've purchased books on the same subjects, but there is really TOO MUCH information out there. All the information, books, websites, and blogs just bring up more questions.

So now, with a little faith, a lot of homework, and even more soul searching, I think that when that 60 day letter makes it's way into my hands, that I will spend my paid time off (thanks dear employer for that) figuring out how to get started on doing what I always wanted. Degree in management in hand as a backup, I suppose... But at least I'll finally have it!

In the meantime, my writing as of now, is limited to blogging and writing in my actual hard-copy, Runner's Training Journal. Although I am NOT an organized person, and keeping any sort of records on anything is way out of my range of talents, I WILL keep this journal on running. My sister has made me commit to a half marathon, and the only way to keep myself accountable and on track is by keeping this darn journal....

Do Hard Things...

My mom got my oldest son this book, "Do Hard Things" by Alex and Brett Harris, twin brothers and teenagers. They wrote this book based on their blog http://www.therebelution.com/. The rebelution is "teens rebelling against the low expectations of the world and doing the 'hard' things." I skimmed thru the book and really just read the first two chapters before handing it over to my daughter to read, but besides being good inspiration for teens, this book could be a good challenge for us all.

They bring up the point that most kids/teens are considered "good" kids/teens because they don't do the bad things. Because the don't drink, don't do drugs, don't get in trouble, etc... But shouldn't they be considered good for the things that they do, do... Because they volunteer, or help at church, or get good grades, etc... Don't we want to challenge our kids to be better by doing these "hard" and "good" things, and not by just telling them that you are good by just staying out of trouble?

It is such a simple concept, but so true. And really, applicable to all of us. Do I want to be a good parent because I don't beat and neglect my children, or do I want to be a good parent because I love and support my children. There is really a huge difference between the two, but in the world's view, both can and are considered "good".

This book challenges it's readers (mostly teens) to go beyond and to go further and to strive to do the hard things that society assumes is beyond their reach. Who says that a teenager can't raise money for a worthy cause? If somebody were to ask you, you probably would say it's possible, but why isn't it expected? Why don't we push our children to explore volunteerism and community outreach as teens, instead of being content that they are at home on facebook, but staying out of trouble.

So this is my plug, my little platform to shout from for tonight. GET THE BOOK! CHALLENGE YOUR KIDS! Make them believe that they are capable of things that they never would have thought of, that you never would have thought of. These are our future leaders, and we should expect the best from them, and in return, expect the best from yourselves.

Now go out and do something 'hard,' push yourself out of your ordinary boundaries, and stretch your abilities to your wildest imaginings!