Why grow up?

As I write this blog, I am finishing off a happy meal! Yes, you read right, a happy meal! Complete with a princess toy (Which I am not quite sure of it's purpose? It's pink and fuzzy! Who knows, I'll figure it out)! Ahhh yes, the moments when I prove, without a doubt, that I am still very much a kid at heart. Moments that are not rare by any means!

Happy meals are a small treat I enjoy when I am writing my children book manuscripts (and other times I feel necessary). I feel that I am rewarding my inner child for her creativity! Ok, that is totally some random excuse I pulled from thin air! I'm not going to lie. I just love happy meals. :0)

ANYWAYS! I am a child at heart. I really don't see the need to grow up completely. I mean seriously? Give me a list of 10 good reasons to be without an inner child? If you can come up with a good list, with 10 solid reasons that I cannot argue, I will consider growing up.

Keeping in contact with your inner child is good for many reasons in my opinion. Reasons that creativity is among! Your inner child can keep you young at heart, ready for challenges, full of energy... so many things. I ask you this... when is the last time that you hugged a teddy bear? Painted without a paintbrush? How about going to the park to swing so high you might fly far far away into the sky? Or how about building a tent out of blankets and reading for hours? My last tent was about a week ago! My niece (age 5) and nephew (age 6) and I (age 19 going on 7) decided to play "princess and power rangers;" building our special hideout tent on top of my queen size bed. One large size blanket, 2 hair ties, a broom and all the pillows in the house later, we had a top secret club area prime for snuggling and reading. Our only limit was our imagination, which in the hours that passed, seemed to span endlessly. Giggles floating out from the makeshift tent edges.

In those hours, I was privileged to be let into their world of make believe and fairies. A world I could not have entered if it were not for my inner child (who, by the way, I think rocks)! When we ran out of books, they turned to me for new stories, which I pulled together in a matter of minutes; their grins fueling my exciting tales. Together, the three of us escaped to a world far away from our small blue house on the outskirts of town. Our stories took us to fishing ponds across the world, meeting creatures like Big Foot (who we like to call Harry, he likes gummy worms and hot chocolate....hee hee, and I am sure nice long walks on the beach if anyone is interested...though he is a hard guy to catch)! We created tales of princesses in castles waiting to be rescued; and of the ninjas who saved them (random but true)!

The point of my babble is this. Being able to pull out the inner child within is a great reliever for stress. Now of course, there are times that it is required to be grown up. This I do not argue in any way. Growing up is an unavoidable process (despite Peter Pan's wishes...though I still continue to look for Neverland, and Tinker Bell... I will let you know if I am successful). But growing up does not mean having to abandon all of our innocence or imagination. Life is serious, but it can be fun too. Taking life too seriously is where many of our stress problems come from... we over think things and complicate what, if we take a step back and breatheeeee, may be simple.

So the next time you find yourself stressed, under pressure or getting lost in the world's buzz. Get a happy meal, or go home early one night and play with your kids, build a tent! Read a book! Do SOMETHING out of the ordinary, something fun, and something creative. Now some of you may think that it is too late, that your inner child is far gone, but your wrong. If you know anything about children, it's that they are stubborn. Chances are, your inner child is close by, waiting for a little attention! So have some fun.... and as for me.... well.... who knows what is next! You'll just have to wait for the next blog, but in the mean time, go fly a kite!

Dreaming Wide Awake

It was one of those delicious moments where I lingered in between a restful sleep and waking up to begin my day. Snuggled underneath my many blankets, loving my feather bed. I wasn't dreaming, but thoughts echoed around in my head. Thoughts that were perfect for my fantasy novel I am writing; and while I was safely nestled in my warm bed, my mind wandered in a world full of magic.

I have been writing this book for about nine and a half months now. It's a new experience for me, as I am used to keeping my stories roped into a page or two. Currently, I am approximately 53 pages into my novel, my imagination still running strong. I find it relaxing to escape my everyday world, re-locating in a enchanting, hidden world... not far from our own, but different than that which any of us have experienced (that we know of)! In my world, I play with the faeries, search for new and interesting characters, and invent new adventures for my three characters; Eliza, Jamie and Lynn.

It's been very exciting lately as I am working on the second lesson that they will learn on their journey. Without giving away the plot of the story, I can say that this is a very exciting storyline and I find myself living through it. My characters are learning lessons that all adolescents learn as they make that awkward transfer between their childhood and adulthood. But they do it in a way that holds a lot of symbolism and keeps the reader on the edge of their seats!

I have had a lot of fun with this book. I can barely wait to finish it, but know that it will take time and patience and many more developments. Even I look forward to discovering where these characters will take me. My favorite part is that I am so close to their world, that all I have to do is close my eyes, and I enter as a welcomed guest. But just like the characters in the book, I can only stay so long before I must re-gain the real word. There I wait for the next idea to find its way onto paper.

Until then, I continue to enjoy the moments like the one I had the other day in bed; awake, but in a dream of my own. Creating a story that I one day hope to share with the world, one page at a time!

Apartments, landlords, blushing and the rest of my day!

My little brother just read my last blog and informed me that, to say the least, it was boring. I opened my mouth to protest, but realized, that...well... the 14-year-old is right! So let's spice it up shall we?!

Today was very crazy! I am in the process of locating a place to live for the next few years while I go to ESU. Obviously, what I am looking for is an apartment. Which, I found... ALOT of them! Today, I looked at over 10 different places, each one different. I did fall in love with one for a certain reason... it had a smaller bedroom (besides the main one) that would have BEEN perfect for a writing room. But the neighborhood wasn't so great. Long story short, I got one that will work. Nothing too exciting, but a place to call home for the next 12-months (and hopefully the birthplace of many more novels)!

Stay with me here, above was not the funny part! No, the funny part was me trying to fill out the paperwork! One would assume that person who spends her hours writing would be able to fill out paperwork no sweat, right? Yeaaaaaaaaaaaa right! Here's the thing, behind paper I do have a special way with words. But in person, over short messages like text messaging, or on small papers; I have a way of getting myself in a bind.

I was filling out paper after paper; the average information, name, date of birth...basically signing your soul away! Well, I got to the part for the "spouse's' information and of course I am not married! In fact, I am recently broken up. So, in rather large letters I wrote single with an exclamation point. I really didn't think about it, until after I handed the paper back. Then, like a light bulb going off in a pitch black room, my cheeks turned pink as the (very cute I might ad) landlord was reviewing the paperwork and turned to that specific section! A moment that I would have been ahead to keep my mouth shut! But instead, I chose to stutter and stumble over words trying to explain why I did that. I'm not sure what the final conclusion was. But he was laughing, and I was still blushing!

So, the moral of the story is this! Don't assume that people who can write have a way with all words, both written and spoken! I proved this today but I do it more often than that! Maybe this is why I became a writer?! For me it's always been easier to write out what I have to say (not confining it to a certain word count). Furthermore, writing is much easier when there is a delete button involved; and trust me, there was no delete button today! But on the bright side, I bet my new landlord remembers me when I go to pay rent on the first day!

Writing a Manuscript... fun stuff!

The last few weeks, my time extra time has been consumed by the things that I must complete before sending out my manuscripts! For those of you who don't know, there is way more than just licking the envelope and sealing it with a kiss. I used to think this too!

Unfortunately, because of these processes that I must follow, I have been permanently kicked out of the Tree Hugger Club! Okay, I'm kidding, but let me tell you, the amount of paper I go through is insane. Today for instance, I was excited to come into the lab to pick up my freshly printed manuscript copies, crisp and ready to stuff into their big brown envelopes! But literally, just as I reached to pull the rather large stack from the copier, a teacher that has helped me with editing came in with her copy of the manuscript in her hand. "Oh I just happened to find one more thing," she said. Smiling, I took the stack of newly printed, now useless, manuscript copies and transferred them to their new home. The recycling bin! Then headed to the nearest computer to make the new changes.

Now don't get me wrong, as much as I love the trees (and I would claim myself as a tree hugger), getting these last minute corrections are a gift. Every little thing that can be caught now brings me one step closer to the "perfect manuscript." I am thankful for all who have been willing to help me edit, reading Lily's story over and over again! Without them, none of this would have been possible!

Any who... so today I have put printing on hold; deciding that maybe another couple of edits wouldn't be such a bad idea. To date, my darling Lily and her story of childlike shopping addiction has been edited over 113 times by various people. To name a few, my mother (always a good critique), my college Comp. 2 teacher and Children's Literature Instructor, Jane Watkins, the Lantern newspaper advisor, Danita White, my best friend and amazingggg reporter for the Emporia Gazette, Brandy Nance, countless other friends and so many more. All helping to shape Lily to what she is today!

Ok, ok, I have gotten off track! The process of sending out manuscripts! Here we are again, back on track. To those who are wondering what the process takes, I will let you in on a little. To prepare for sending out your story, the following has to be completed first:
- The purchase of what I refer to as the Writer's Bible, but what is called the Children's Writers and Illustrators Market 2008. This was the book that many sites recommend and also the book that I have spent many nights thumbing through desperately looking for answers!
- Editing, editing, editing! Read the story to kids, ask what they think. Have a teacher rip it apart (as a writer you HAVE to be open to criticism and accept that like all humans, writers make mistakes too). Have you mom read it, your sister, your brothers. Share it with friends, etc. The only thing that you may want to be careful of is read it to those you trust as there is always the underlying factor of your idea getting stolen. But don't be paranoid! You have to discover if what you are writing is something that will go over with people.
- Manuscript format. There are a lot of books out there that have different ideas for format. Some companies request special formats. This is where things get tricky. I chose to go with a basic format listed in the book I purchased. However, I will be paying special attention to the requirements that each company holds.
- Envelopes and stamps. Giant brown manila envelopes are my package of choice to send out Lily's story. To save time I have printed out mass labels with my name and address and placed them on all the envelopes. Also note: many companies require that if you want a response or want your manuscript back, you have to but a SASE (self addressed stamped envelope) inside the main envelope. Now as far as mailing out your manuscripts, which I have yet to do. That is going to cost a pretty penny. In the book I use, there are well over 200 different publishing addresses. Be cautious though when selecting where to send everything. Read the guidelines carefully; sending a manuscript to a company who won't take it wastes your money and their time.
- Getting you name out there. This is a very important step as well as a very tricky one. Many companies like to be able to access other information about if they are interested. The book I am reading highly suggest that serious authors establish a website of some sort. This includes a blog (which you are reading! yea!). Also, having easy to decipher information helps too. Like a business card, or a portfolio that sets you apart from the rest. Getting noticed is the first step!
- Waiting.... and waiting and waiting and waiting. This is the hardest part. And chances are that the first letter you will get will be a rejection letter, something that can be discouraging. But don't give up! It's worth it all to one day get that acceptance letter; just like getting into college! Except you will get paid instead of having to go in dept! Ha! I can't say that I have experienced the full excitement of selling a manuscript, but I can only imagine. It's my dream, and trust me, I really do dream about it. I have staring contests with my mailbox!

So there it is, a little in site to the first few steps to getting a book published. Nothing is proven, so if it doesn't work for you don't come here screaming at me! I am in the learning process too. It seems to take forever and its a lot of work and dedication. But I keep my hopes up by writing even more. Who knows what could happen tomorrow! I might even get the real final manuscript printed out. But for now....well... I'm going to go check my mailbox! I'm waiting on my final copyright papers...ahhh! Hurry up government ( hurry and government don't belong in the same sentence, I should know that)! Happy writing and reading ya'll!

How Writing Became My Life...

I was born with a pen in my hand, or so it has been told! I hardly doubt that this is true, but what I can tell you is that I started reading at a very young age. I remember spending hours in the library, thumbing through the hundreds of children's books. Looking for the one that caught my eye (which usually ended as more than one)! As I got older I mastered other techniques that only an expert reader could! For instance, I soon learned that if I held a book with one hand and placed the other on the wall I could easily walk and read. It was no surprise when I was accepted in an advanced reading class in Elementary school (not to brag), and I loved it!

Storytelling was the next step of my journey. It began with one, solid purpose; putting my little brother to sleep! Matt was born with multiple birth defects. But while the world saw him differently, I just saw him as my baby brother and I loved taking care of him. At night, my mother let me help put him to sleep, and soon found that I could do it better than her. In the beginning, I remember setting by his little bed and either singing, or telling him a story. Soon, because I really could not sing (then or now), the storytelling became a nightly ritual. My imagination went wild, and I made up the stories as I went along. Even I didn't know what would come next! But I could tell by the smiles on his face that he loved what I was saying, so I kept going. He wasn't the only one that was smiling; I enjoyed it as much as he did, if not more.

As I entered the higher grades, I began journal writing. Putting the random thoughts that bounced around in my head down on paper! My grandmother bought me my very first journal. It was from the dollar store and purchased on one of our many shopping adventures. It was covered in a colorful pattern made of little peacock feathers and was little enough that it it fit in the palm of my hand. I loved the bright colors that popped out of the pattern; golden yellow, subtle blue and a small amount of pink. But most of all, I loved that it was mine to write whatever I pleased on its perfectly lined pages. This is my earliest memory of writing beyond class assignments.

The journal writing continued throughout the next several years. As I entered middle school, my creativity started to come out in different forms. Whether it be in letters to friends, or papers for my English classes; I never seemed to run out. Then, my 6th grade teacher, Mrs. Gregory, assigned a special project that would change my life. We were to write a fiction story in our weekly journals, writing it in sections. This would become my first piece of literary work. Granted, no one will ever read this story other than my mother and a few closest friends, because after all, it was written by a 6th grader! So needless to say, it was a little rough. But it was a well thought out story, and it was what combined my storytelling and writing into one force. From that day on, I thought of my life in the form of a story!

Throughout the end of middle school, I had numerous teachers notice my writing. A few even went as far as telling me that I had true potential as a writer. This was all enough to keep my passion fueled. When I became a full-time babysitter I was excited to once again have someone to tell my stories too. Better yet, to have someone who thought in the same mindset as myself!

It was in high school that I took my biggest leap in my writing career. I became part of the school newspaper, earning the title of co-editor by my second year on staff. But this was not the leap! No, the leap, or fall rather, happened on a chilly November day. I started to step out my back door and fell, catching my leg between the eroded concrete step and the side of the house. In slow motion (or so it seemed) I fell to the ground, a definite cracking sound echoing though the air and pain cutting though my body like a knife. Two hours, a moon boot and a pain pill later, I lay in bed staring at the ceiling. According to the doctor, I had only cracked my ankle but in a really bad place. I was also informed that if it cracked anymore I would be in a lot of trouble medically. So, in the end, it all summed up in four words; two weeks bed rest.

The problem with that was that, to say the least, I was a work-a-holic. So spending that much time in bed was something that pained me more than the break itself. Long story short, one evening, as I was setting with my niece coloring, I began to sketch a small character on a piece of crisp white paper. That night, Lily the Ladybug was brought to life. Then, a few days later, her story funneled out through my pencil on a sparkly, star splattered notebook. I put all the energy that I normally spent running around into my new project. But what made it special, was that I also poured my heart out into every word.

Lily the Ladybug would become the very first character I wrote an entire book about. Even more so, she became a large part of my life. Especially when I realized that this was more than just a book. It was the beginning of my writing career; one that still continues today. Growing with each passing hour.

Becoming a writer was not something I planned. But it is something that I would not change for anything in the world. I am currently 19-years-old, and not a day goes by that I don't write something. In less that three months I will graduate from the small, 2-year community college in Kansas that I once dreamed of going to when I was a little girl. In the two years that I have been studying here, I have been a part of the college newspaper, recently being promoted to the Managing Editor. My days are filled with 17 credit hours worth of classes and three different jobs. But in the minutes that I am able to spare in the evenings, or between classes (ok, ok... and sometimes during class when my mind wanders) I spend my time writing of the characters that flood my mind. To date, I have completed over 10 children's stories and have my first teen novel under construction! Also, I eagerly await the package that should come any day now containing the final copyright certificate for that first Lily the Ladybug book I wrote back in high school.

I heard one of my favorite quotes off of a movie called The Uptown Girls. "Every story has an ending, but in life, every ending is just a new beginning." I like thinking that way! My life is like the stories I write. Chapters are coming to an end all the time, but then the page is turned, and its time to start on the next part. I'm still living my story, so there is no ending. But there are stories! Both true and the ones I make up when my mind runs wild. Either way, there is a story; and that's where my job is! To "catch' the story and find a place to put it. Now your job? That's up to you! You can read about it, but who knows! It's a small world, and chances are that someday you may become a part of it. But until then, you can find me here! Writing my heart out, one post at a time!