I know I made yesterday's announcement pretty quick and with little announcement! But I had limited time and wanted to get it on there as soon as I could! I have been researching and researching and looking and reading everything I can get my hands on! Lately, I have been reading stories of other authors and their journeys and about the roads that lead them to getting published. Each and everyone so far got published with the help of an agent. Then, I read a very interesting piece by my favorite author, Meg Cabot, and she too mentioned that anymore it is next to impossible to get published without an agent. Meaning... basically... I am starting over at square one! Which about kills me, but I think it will benefit my writing career in the future. I have the name of a book that has been suggested, and the process of getting an agent is similar to that of finding a publisher. Only instead of trying to sell only my work, I am officially putting myself on the market! Ha! Kind of like single ads, only instead of a looking for a romantic guy who enjoys watching movies, talking and taking long walks on the beach.. I am looking for an agent who is determined, likes working with new (and young) authors and likes reading long manuscripts with the intent of getting them published!
I have to wait until Friday (happy dance) to order the book and then as soon as it comes in I will begin the quest! I need to put together a portfolio and compile a writing resume and about 10-million other things! But it is exciting! So here we go, one more path on the journey to becoming a writer! Keep your fingers crossed!
Monday, July 21, 2008
Sunday, July 20, 2008
CHANGE IN PLANS...again
Ok, I literally am writing this with 2 minutes before the library closes! There is a new plan: forget all plans! I am going to find an agent!
PASS IT ON: The Kindness Catching Revolution
I am a part of a secret society so to say. It is all about Random Acts of Kindness. Now you may wonder... "If it's so secret, why are you telling us?" But I guess you could say that this is one secret we would like to pass on! In fact, the more people who know, the better!
For the last 6 years I have been performing Random Acts of Kindness and handing out Smile Cards! Which, in my opinion, are one of the greatest ideas in the world! I guess I was truly inspired by the movie, "Pay it Forward," a must see for all! I had done little things before... and I always enjoyed surprising others and helping out others who were in need.... but discovering the Smile cards was truly the spark that ignited my passion!
I discovered the cards while I was working on one of the projects for the volunteer group I ran, Students Taking a Responsible Step, or S.T.A.R.S. I really wanted to share the practice of Random Acts of Kindness with the kids in my group. I was researching the movie we would be watching, and somehow came across HelpOthers.org, home of the smile cards.
Since that day, I have carried around a bundle of the cards just in case an opportunity to use one came along. Today and yesterday was one of those days! I had to travel on the Turnpike to get to my families house in Ark City and then to return to my home. Yesterday, as I got off and paid at the toll booth, I gave the cashier an extra $2.50 and a smile card and asked her to pay the toll for the car behind me and to give them the card. She smiled nervously, but took the money and the card and I jetted off. As I looked in my rear-view mirror at the car behind me, the man who was in it looked down at the card that she had just given him and he smiled SO big! That is why I do it, for the smiles! That is more payment than I could ever wish for!
Toll money is not the only area I pass out cards; I come up with new ideas all the time! I do have a favorite story though!
When I graduated from high school, I received a huge bouquet of carnations; 40 to be exact! I had so many that I didn't know what to do with them. The next weekend my niece and nephew came (ages 4 and 5) and we took every single carnation and tied a smile card to it's stem. We then went to our local Dillion's Store and I gave each of them one flower at a time. I explained that these flowers would make other people smile, and then they could take the cards and do something nice for someone else! They loved the idea, but I wasn't sure if they fully grasped the idea. Furthermore, I thought that they possibly might get to shy at the last minute, but boy was I surprised! My nephew ran excitedly through the doors of the store and found the very first lady he lay eyes on! He ran up to her and handed her the flower! Her smile was so big, but his was even bigger!
In no time at all, we neared the end of our bouquet, but there were a few left. My niece took one up to an elderly lady, and then came back to me and as we were walking away she tugged on my sleeve and asked..."Did you see her smile?!" "It was really big."
We left the store with three flowers left, and went to Subway for lunch. The kids saw a woman at the counter and took a flower up to her. She smiled and turned around and said "that just made my day! Thank you guys!"
The final two flowers went to the waitresses at the restaurant! Both of which were really excited to receive flowers. Later, as we were setting and eating our lunch, one of the waitresses came up to the kids with two giant chocolate chip cookies! She said that they were for them and that she really liked her flower! As they gobbled down the cookies my niece and nephew looked at me with the biggest chocolate covered smiles I had ever seen. My nephew said "being nice is fun!"
It turned out being a great day, not only for myself and my family, but for 40 other random people. We spread a lot of smiles, and the kids learned an important lesson in the process. In fact they couldn't wait until the next time they got to come and visit!
In the last 6 years, I have had so much fun, and seen smiles that I will never forget. I know this is something that I plan to continue as long as I am alive! I have seen the way if affects others, and I have been affected as well. The simplest things can make the biggest difference to someone. You may never know how big of a difference you have made, but I can promise you, it IS made!
I write about this because it is one of my passions; and it is human kindness that serves as one of my inspirations to life, and to my writing. Life is one big story of which we all play a part. Each day is a new page, and it is written as we go along. Why not become a part of another's story? Why not spread a smile? Why not Pass It On? In fact... I dare you!
For the last 6 years I have been performing Random Acts of Kindness and handing out Smile Cards! Which, in my opinion, are one of the greatest ideas in the world! I guess I was truly inspired by the movie, "Pay it Forward," a must see for all! I had done little things before... and I always enjoyed surprising others and helping out others who were in need.... but discovering the Smile cards was truly the spark that ignited my passion!
I discovered the cards while I was working on one of the projects for the volunteer group I ran, Students Taking a Responsible Step, or S.T.A.R.S. I really wanted to share the practice of Random Acts of Kindness with the kids in my group. I was researching the movie we would be watching, and somehow came across HelpOthers.org, home of the smile cards.
Since that day, I have carried around a bundle of the cards just in case an opportunity to use one came along. Today and yesterday was one of those days! I had to travel on the Turnpike to get to my families house in Ark City and then to return to my home. Yesterday, as I got off and paid at the toll booth, I gave the cashier an extra $2.50 and a smile card and asked her to pay the toll for the car behind me and to give them the card. She smiled nervously, but took the money and the card and I jetted off. As I looked in my rear-view mirror at the car behind me, the man who was in it looked down at the card that she had just given him and he smiled SO big! That is why I do it, for the smiles! That is more payment than I could ever wish for!
Toll money is not the only area I pass out cards; I come up with new ideas all the time! I do have a favorite story though!
When I graduated from high school, I received a huge bouquet of carnations; 40 to be exact! I had so many that I didn't know what to do with them. The next weekend my niece and nephew came (ages 4 and 5) and we took every single carnation and tied a smile card to it's stem. We then went to our local Dillion's Store and I gave each of them one flower at a time. I explained that these flowers would make other people smile, and then they could take the cards and do something nice for someone else! They loved the idea, but I wasn't sure if they fully grasped the idea. Furthermore, I thought that they possibly might get to shy at the last minute, but boy was I surprised! My nephew ran excitedly through the doors of the store and found the very first lady he lay eyes on! He ran up to her and handed her the flower! Her smile was so big, but his was even bigger!
In no time at all, we neared the end of our bouquet, but there were a few left. My niece took one up to an elderly lady, and then came back to me and as we were walking away she tugged on my sleeve and asked..."Did you see her smile?!" "It was really big."
We left the store with three flowers left, and went to Subway for lunch. The kids saw a woman at the counter and took a flower up to her. She smiled and turned around and said "that just made my day! Thank you guys!"
The final two flowers went to the waitresses at the restaurant! Both of which were really excited to receive flowers. Later, as we were setting and eating our lunch, one of the waitresses came up to the kids with two giant chocolate chip cookies! She said that they were for them and that she really liked her flower! As they gobbled down the cookies my niece and nephew looked at me with the biggest chocolate covered smiles I had ever seen. My nephew said "being nice is fun!"
It turned out being a great day, not only for myself and my family, but for 40 other random people. We spread a lot of smiles, and the kids learned an important lesson in the process. In fact they couldn't wait until the next time they got to come and visit!
In the last 6 years, I have had so much fun, and seen smiles that I will never forget. I know this is something that I plan to continue as long as I am alive! I have seen the way if affects others, and I have been affected as well. The simplest things can make the biggest difference to someone. You may never know how big of a difference you have made, but I can promise you, it IS made!
I write about this because it is one of my passions; and it is human kindness that serves as one of my inspirations to life, and to my writing. Life is one big story of which we all play a part. Each day is a new page, and it is written as we go along. Why not become a part of another's story? Why not spread a smile? Why not Pass It On? In fact... I dare you!
Crazy days...long car rides and other fun adventures!
Things have been crazy here for a little while...to say the least! I literally flew into town today just in time to make it for work. Parking as close as I could, shoving some change into the parking meter and running for the entrance...stopping only as I got there to tuck in a few strays pieces of hair and smooth the wrinkles out of my pink cotton shirt. I was glad for two reasons! One, I had made it just in time, and two air conditioning! But as I walked in, the last of those appeared to not be in the cards. The air conditioning at W.A.W Library is broken; hence why I have a fan blowing directly on me and why our usually patron count is even lower than usual!
I was out of town over the weekend because my brother got really really sick and had to be admitted to the E.R. on Thursday night. because he could hardly swallow and was throwing up blood (gross I know). Then, after going to the doctor on Friday, he continued to get worse. To top it off, there were other family things going on and of course there is the new, not-so-potty-trained dog! So after listening to the message from my mother and talking it out with her... I was on my way to Ark City as it was requested. I don't know if I helped out as much as wanted in the long run... but I did keep the littlest brother occupied and got to meet (and work on potty control) the new puppy (who's name is Rebel)!
I woke up bright and early to come back this morning... and time would not have been an issue had I not gone through Mc Donald's ( a fast-food restaurant that is becoming notorious for it's mistakes and slow service) assuming I could get food quickly...and then having many run-in's with cops who were out to get everyone today! Then, in the very end, because of one cop, I missed my turn and had to a bit out of my way to find a place to turn around! It was all very much an annoyance, but such is life! The car ride was about 2 and a half hours long and I actually enjoy it because I love listening to music and just being alone to think!
The only thing I have is that my send out date will be on the 16th of August... I am wanting my two friends/family to go with me for good luck! What could be better luck?! Other than that, I have been working on publishing stuff and also adding bits and pieces to my novel. But right now I am off to work, work work!
I was out of town over the weekend because my brother got really really sick and had to be admitted to the E.R. on Thursday night. because he could hardly swallow and was throwing up blood (gross I know). Then, after going to the doctor on Friday, he continued to get worse. To top it off, there were other family things going on and of course there is the new, not-so-potty-trained dog! So after listening to the message from my mother and talking it out with her... I was on my way to Ark City as it was requested. I don't know if I helped out as much as wanted in the long run... but I did keep the littlest brother occupied and got to meet (and work on potty control) the new puppy (who's name is Rebel)!
I woke up bright and early to come back this morning... and time would not have been an issue had I not gone through Mc Donald's ( a fast-food restaurant that is becoming notorious for it's mistakes and slow service) assuming I could get food quickly...and then having many run-in's with cops who were out to get everyone today! Then, in the very end, because of one cop, I missed my turn and had to a bit out of my way to find a place to turn around! It was all very much an annoyance, but such is life! The car ride was about 2 and a half hours long and I actually enjoy it because I love listening to music and just being alone to think!
The only thing I have is that my send out date will be on the 16th of August... I am wanting my two friends/family to go with me for good luck! What could be better luck?! Other than that, I have been working on publishing stuff and also adding bits and pieces to my novel. But right now I am off to work, work work!
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