So the latest….I received my course materials from ICL!!! Yay! And I must say I’m very impressed with the content and feeling really confident that this is going to be a highly beneficial endeavor. I’ve finished the first half of my first assignment, the intro letter. I further confirmed what I already know…I can be “wordy.” My initial letter was like four pages (the assignment called for only one to two pages) so I edited and condensed, conveying the same sentiment in only half the words. I need to sharpen my skills in brevity. For the second half of the assignment, I had to choose one of three pictures from which to develop a story. It’s kind of an assessment to identify where I am in my writing ability. I’ve brainstormed and sketched an outline now all there is to do is flesh it out.  Getting very excited about the writing conference this weekend. I missed the CityLit Festival this past weekend but at least it’s on my radar for next year. I’m realizing that Baltimore has a very rich and active literary community! Loving it….

I just wrote about mailing my enrollment form to the Institute for Children’s Literature (ICL) and lo and behold on Friday night I received a call from someone identifying herself as a rep from ICL confirming receipt of my form and check. Admittedly I am one of those who may or may not answer the phone depending on the caller id and when I saw the private name and number with a area code I did not recognize, I was tempted to keep on walking. But I answered and I’m kind of glad I did. After providing receipt confirmation, Ms. ICL went on to explain that I would be receiving a confirmation email and course materials within a week or two but the primary reason for her call was to make sure I knew I was enrolling in the magazine course and not the more expensive book course. I assured her I was aware at which time she went into a “sales pitch” pointing out that for only X dollars more I could enroll in the book course. So at this point my stomach slightly knotted as it usually does when I’m leery of something.  My response: “Okay so what exactly is the difference between the two courses?” As I asked this I mentally ticked off my goals:  work one on one with a published author/writing mentor (check) brush up basic writing skills (check) learn new skills and techniques (check) possibly complete the course with a story/article decent enough for publication (check). What I was able to surmise from her jumbled response, is that both courses are identical in their foundations, only the tracks toward the finished product differed. I assured her again that I was satisfied with my enrollment choice at which she reminded me that if I ever decided to take the book course I would be repeating much of the same material. Can’t say she wasn’t persistent but when I once again expressed my choice to stick with the magazine course she relented by saying that some people do prefer to write for magazines. I was a bit perturbed when I hung up the phone, questioning the legitimacy of it all. I remembered reading that their marketing efforts were nothing less than aggressive but once you were able to get past that, it was a rewarding experience. So I shook off my doubts and went to bed. Fast forward to Tuesday, I received a confirmation/welcome email containing my student number and a link to the student center website. My course materials are being shipped April 1st but in the meantime I was able to download the first half of my first assignment. I have to write an informal letter to my instructor introducing myself, my goals, my motivations and anything else I think she might need to know to best understand and help me.  I feel so much better now that I have everything in front of me, my stomach is knot-free and I’m really excited to begin. Here we go!……

I did it! They wore me down! An enrollment form and check is on the way to the Institute of Children’s Literature. I had some doubts about the program but after a lot more research and yet another “This may be your last chance to discover your true potential” letter, I decided to take the plunge. I have to give them props for their guerilla marketing, they are a persistent bunch, but everything I’ve read and heard has been pretty positive. Of course there are exceptions but the overwhelming consensus has been that the one on one mentoring style of the course is great for newbies such as myself. Granted it’s not the full blown $600 “write a book ” course but at half the price and the same course style I don’t think “writing for magazines” is too bad. Either way, I’m getting a solid brush up on the basics at a budget friendly cost and the correspondence/self pacing of the course is exactly what I need right now. Can’t wait to get my materials!

So our church marriage conference was cancelled, meaning the dramatic scene my husband and I were writing is a no go. We might just finish it for fun though. It was cool to join creative forces. While I aspire to written expressions, my husband’s talents lie in dramatic performance-theatre, film, and voice work. We’re both reaching for the stars.
I’ve been a bit restless, trying to figure out how to further myself along in this journey. It’s a process, I know, but sometimes my impatience fogs the mind. Maybe my impatience is the reason I focus on short stories..hmmm. I have about three fictional shorts in process. I’m working on them depending on my mood and what “voice” I’m hearing at the time (no, not those voices). Maybe one of my projects will be a collection of short stories. I’m still psyched about the MD Writers Assoc conference in April. I downloaded a schedule of the speakers and their topics. A lot of good workshops…the basics  like plot, setting, and developing the habit of writing to networking and finding an agent. I’m also really eager to connect with other writers and find a local critique group. I’ve been searching the Writer’s Market website lately and saved a few interesting listings, now I just need to stop being a slacker and actually submit something. Considering I paid an annual fee to use the site, I thought I’d be more inclined to take advantage of the opportunities listed even if for no other reason than to get my money’s worth…I can’t let my Writer’s Market subscription go the way of the gym membership. In other news, I celebrated another year of life last week…33 years and counting…and I feel like I’m moving in the right direction.

I’ve been working with my hubby to write a dramatic presentation for our church’s marriage retreat. He was drafted and I’m kind of along for the ride but I must say it’s been fun. Bouncing ideas back and forth, fleshing out dialogue, movement and blocking…it’s all been really invigorating. I’m certainly not a playwright, but it deepens my appreciation for their craft. Of course I love doing just about anything with my beloved but I’m especially loving this collaborative writing. I could get used to this….

I’ve been selective with whom I share my aspirations. Some of my family and friends have no idea about my writing passion. Of course I must not be THAT selective considering I have a blog for all the world to see. But on the other hand I haven’t been particularly pressed to direct everyone here either. I was told that you can’t share your dreams with everyone because sometimes when a person has no dream or aspiration of their own, they easily negate the dreams and aspirations of others. I’m cautious yet confident that when the time is right everyone will know. Which leads me to a kind of related thought…Would it be wise to post some of my short stories? I’m thinking maybe I should have copyright protection or something…prevent someone from using my work as their own. I’ll have to research and think about it….

I googled local writing groups and found the Maryland Writers’ Association. They’re hosting a one day writer’s conference in April with an impressive panel of speakers being held only twenty minutes away from my home! So excited about this!…My registration form is on the way! Thank you Lord!

Just thinking about my decisions and priorities over the years. I’ve loved writing since elementary school and had notebooks full of stories as proof. But when it was time to declare my undergrad major, a penchant for numbers and a preoccupation with dollar signs attracted me to business and specifically Accounting. By that time writing was a nice hobby but I didn’t even consider it as a career, a profession. So now fast forward more than a decade later and those dollar signs have lost their appeal, my childhood passion and dreams have been renewed and I’m thinking maybe I should have majored in English or gone to grad school for Creative Writing  instead of HR Development. But the past is the past and all I can do now is immerse myself in the gift of the present and the promise of the future. 

Had the opportunity to do one of my favorite things this weekend…curl up with a good book! More than a hour of uninterrupted time with a book and I’m singing “Oh happy day!” I was psyched to slip away to the library and peruse the new arrivals shelf. My pulse literally quickens at the sight of a shelf of books. I crave books like a pregnant woman craves…anything. As usual I walked out balancing a stack of books…I always forget to bring a bag. Looking forward to devouring my literary treats over the next few weeks…just have to make sure I check those due dates. I love my public library!:-)

Just read an article about employers using a potential candidate’s blog as a sort of character study. Essentially what you post in your blog could be the difference between “You’re hired” and “We’ve chosen another candidate.” So somehow that got me to thinking about the whole “Following” thing. How does one go about amassing followers? Do you recruit, blog plug….? I still consider myself fairly new to the blogosphere, I only began my first blog Barnabas Blessings (plug?) in June of last year. I’ve noticed that one can choose to follow a blog publicly or anonymously so maybe I have readers admiring from afar..LOL. Either way, I write to clear my mind, to remember and along the way hopefully connect with and encourage someone else. Three cheers for blogging!:-)