tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6858891108205840852024-02-21T04:47:38.699-05:00Write2ignite BlogWrite2Ignite! Conference 2012 – March 16-17, 2012 at North Greenville UniversityWrite2ignitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266315375662322726noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-685889110820584085.post-3355338836810116542011-08-11T22:48:00.000-04:002011-08-11T22:48:19.900-04:00Got Inspiration?<em>by Kristi Butler</em><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD3X7j0iP4ZA87Zfs2opOmCYY10-cVeKVLubd6X3g09VKyDHHHB9hY0qT459acyQW9NixCTEFDcWfA5fMguI8X8mG6tXTILcn0fHXPJnk9DSfv8UeLxnObtM_KFA0kqLqcsuL2n3vPEU4/s1600/pen+and+paper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD3X7j0iP4ZA87Zfs2opOmCYY10-cVeKVLubd6X3g09VKyDHHHB9hY0qT459acyQW9NixCTEFDcWfA5fMguI8X8mG6tXTILcn0fHXPJnk9DSfv8UeLxnObtM_KFA0kqLqcsuL2n3vPEU4/s320/pen+and+paper.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">What inspires you to write?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When do you find the inescapable invigoration to put pen to paper?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where are you when your greatest ideas are birthed?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How is your writer’s sense quickened and stimulated?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who stirs the cogs of your brain illuminating the path that you simply must follow? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why do you do this <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">writing</i> thing that you do? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s a little crazy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems that a great majority of my inspirations come at inopportune moments…like while in the shower…or putting on my makeup…or driving in the car…or just as I drift off to sleep at night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have learned to keep a pen and some sort of paper close at hand for these fine moments…well, except in the shower.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In that case I just have to keep repeating the thought over and over until I can make my way to paper and jot it down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I try to keep “jotting journals” around for just such times, including one in my car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, I also have lots of random pieces of paper, napkins, and sticky notes all over the place.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I really try to grasp those bursts of inspiration, and act on the impulse to release all that is bubbling up within.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes with success.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes not so much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Life doesn't always offer total flexibility to whim and inspiration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are days when I look over my jottings…then to the cursor flashing before me…and pray…and look at the cursor…back to the scribbling…and pray some more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some days the words gush like a fountain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some days they trickle like the tiniest stream.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The important thing is to persist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep at it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hear the voice and act.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiruuWoeZjv36JVlUC9J_RkVfTfP1WNtjHkfmxhyPgFc6NrGLl2GOFlVbA8d2BfRjHqWyMInDnYycd-XrCVFg3lYRyY56AyS7PHnhragZ5Pt1TQabhVLKI1vijyzEAhhTpbsdZb0ssQQi8/s1600/pro_author.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213px" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiruuWoeZjv36JVlUC9J_RkVfTfP1WNtjHkfmxhyPgFc6NrGLl2GOFlVbA8d2BfRjHqWyMInDnYycd-XrCVFg3lYRyY56AyS7PHnhragZ5Pt1TQabhVLKI1vijyzEAhhTpbsdZb0ssQQi8/s320/pro_author.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, are you feeling inspired?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are you seizing the opportunities before you?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are you seeking ways to enhance and increase those great moments that propel you to head to the computer and start pecking away?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One of the greatest ways to be successful in your writing is to surround yourself with people and information that challenges and encourages you to write.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you have those people in your life?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are you in a writer’s group?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you attend writer’s conferences?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you read books that inspire you to write and to hone your craft?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We would love to get your fingers tap tap tapping right now!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let us know what inspires you!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please share any tidbits that might just encourage our readers to brave the cursor and create something magnificent!</span></div><br />
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<em><span style="font-size: large;">We would also love to have you join us at our Write2Ignite! Conference 2012 – March 16-17, 2012, at North Greenville University near Greenville, SC. Details coming soon.</span></em><br />
Write2ignitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266315375662322726noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-685889110820584085.post-22847839232139562542011-08-05T16:45:00.000-04:002011-08-05T16:45:21.923-04:00A Day Apart -- WOW!<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvFfXARtQHDpQulZBYYqkA-0p9q0T-bbvH7SjdBbrzwHjALasO0c96iwAoINnTGFiovRbJh2n-FcHwsMc3Cp1BXqJqTXXn7j2FCWJq1mkz7i1H53HvzDtjEqAqod2K-1rQZ69Cet_EovU/s1600/DSC_0884.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvFfXARtQHDpQulZBYYqkA-0p9q0T-bbvH7SjdBbrzwHjALasO0c96iwAoINnTGFiovRbJh2n-FcHwsMc3Cp1BXqJqTXXn7j2FCWJq1mkz7i1H53HvzDtjEqAqod2K-1rQZ69Cet_EovU/s200/DSC_0884.JPG" t$="true" width="200px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Last Saturday, July 30, 2011, Donna and Jean met with seven eager Write2Igniters. </span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We spent a day apart from our everyday lives, a day revising one of our manuscripts, a day apart to see those manuscripts in fresh, new ways.</span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHwyly8S8DbufJrI9cVgSR4tC549f8bXt9_4UUPtS71j0NwAtZnxMMyR-SioaUOBZF1DVFEvvpdA0Qe_6VUL_TcxCQigD3ZZ8MM4BLpY5psnelxf0jFb5fiG865SbFwTL7PmSUq8tuJvU/s1600/Caroline+Eschenberg+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHwyly8S8DbufJrI9cVgSR4tC549f8bXt9_4UUPtS71j0NwAtZnxMMyR-SioaUOBZF1DVFEvvpdA0Qe_6VUL_TcxCQigD3ZZ8MM4BLpY5psnelxf0jFb5fiG865SbFwTL7PmSUq8tuJvU/s200/Caroline+Eschenberg+2.JPG" t$="true" width="200px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Each participant came armed with her best manuscript, her laptop and flash drive, and a willingness to learn from each other.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">By the time we parted ways we were all inspired, informed, a few steps farther down the road than when we came, and totally exhausted!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Brain work is hard work, folks! But e</span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">veryone agreed that the day was a smashing success.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY-rcrdOfbRNav6QY8201rpo5VIMTZGgE0njsccnKiYFNW98I2qbHHORJZytMl8K0xF1JIv-dUO4UKptpcEvRHpaZdDdbwKp0h15PuW_gqetsGAcYG2XeXvzfeffCmuJm5clPaTkfNkmY/s1600/Camilla+Kavitha+Angela.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY-rcrdOfbRNav6QY8201rpo5VIMTZGgE0njsccnKiYFNW98I2qbHHORJZytMl8K0xF1JIv-dUO4UKptpcEvRHpaZdDdbwKp0h15PuW_gqetsGAcYG2XeXvzfeffCmuJm5clPaTkfNkmY/s200/Camilla+Kavitha+Angela.JPG" t$="true" width="200px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We listened and questioned, reasoned and critiqued.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We polished and thought, and critiqued again.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We brain-stormed and revised, and critiqued some more.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaIodpXErigOWQOR9dRm_4TqeHtvVQ_llqTZRUKxZ5u0ea7Sel80HVH9KvFZVsRyL9SMJGnXf5ZYMlDwHS9UYJNRPAPmS0gnAiSbnw5bWYMSwSzESuKW3S9BkHS-nKaFeYBK8-iM5Z1dY/s1600/Angela+Scott.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaIodpXErigOWQOR9dRm_4TqeHtvVQ_llqTZRUKxZ5u0ea7Sel80HVH9KvFZVsRyL9SMJGnXf5ZYMlDwHS9UYJNRPAPmS0gnAiSbnw5bWYMSwSzESuKW3S9BkHS-nKaFeYBK8-iM5Z1dY/s200/Angela+Scott.JPG" t$="true" width="133px" /></a><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We punched our little keyboards and flashed our little flash drives.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfjeY5jzDowtPK7_t36sgrpitxf7MuDXMHRI6ZYIFkFU1YTCijdqizTLnI5oAhAjiXJQej9dqSb-tzU4sN3AKSujNxGNfbZ_UUFKsi57QvyzMoMpeTk6k0MMdmjk8O_ulskrfG3UuLzm8/s1600/Donna.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfjeY5jzDowtPK7_t36sgrpitxf7MuDXMHRI6ZYIFkFU1YTCijdqizTLnI5oAhAjiXJQej9dqSb-tzU4sN3AKSujNxGNfbZ_UUFKsi57QvyzMoMpeTk6k0MMdmjk8O_ulskrfG3UuLzm8/s200/Donna.JPG" t$="true" width="133px" /></a><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We printed, then critiqued again!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It was tiring but fun and profitable. And to top it off, we made some wonderful new friends. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH7JCjjOCyLLqpzm02556HnC4Fw_jl3PDtMyXQxNk2VdcFWZCSgzogAbB-h26cws_BW5f2BZz5ZCGBqKZvcy3qR53JmiG99Hlv5-bgCJJ-90LP4VBRKYGUmKKUtuHsDmF6pj-kqokR-mw/s1600/Joan+Edwards.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH7JCjjOCyLLqpzm02556HnC4Fw_jl3PDtMyXQxNk2VdcFWZCSgzogAbB-h26cws_BW5f2BZz5ZCGBqKZvcy3qR53JmiG99Hlv5-bgCJJ-90LP4VBRKYGUmKKUtuHsDmF6pj-kqokR-mw/s200/Joan+Edwards.JPG" t$="true" width="200px" /></a><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><em></em></strong></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><em>Thanks, Camilla and Carol, Rosemary and Joan, Caroline, Angela and Kavitha. You made the day worthwhile.</em></strong></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisG_FAP972OzsPD00bm7blOZUvd2mNK7v1zYuhP2EGsZV-PPBp1eOXnFWcD2XmML0y5GmPgm4jz4Upm8fYrrNmtJuI62_QCwJeUEFV88X1x5F6kinhj3oQrXzaYpful6AZzTrYSZ7OhVo/s1600/Jean+Carol+B+Caroline+E+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisG_FAP972OzsPD00bm7blOZUvd2mNK7v1zYuhP2EGsZV-PPBp1eOXnFWcD2XmML0y5GmPgm4jz4Upm8fYrrNmtJuI62_QCwJeUEFV88X1x5F6kinhj3oQrXzaYpful6AZzTrYSZ7OhVo/s200/Jean+Carol+B+Caroline+E+2.JPG" t$="true" width="200px" /></a><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maybe we’ll have another <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Day Apart</i> in a locale near you.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And maybe, just maybe, YOU will join us.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We sure hope so.</span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Remember our Write2Ignite! Conference 2012 – March 16-17, 2012 at North Greenville University</strong></div>Write2ignitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266315375662322726noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-685889110820584085.post-82222222905652529182011-07-23T20:46:00.000-04:002011-07-23T20:46:18.091-04:00International Christian Retail Show<em>by Miriam Jones Bradley</em><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My mouth dropped open, my jaw nearly hitting my sternum. I didn’t know what to expect at the International Christian Retail Show (ICRS) in Atlanta, but it wasn’t this. When the doors opened onto the exhibit hall it was overwhelming. The room was huge. It wasn’t a room. It was an indoor football field. A football field completely covered with booths. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I first heard about ICRS over a year ago when my previous publisher suggested I attend ICRS in St. Louis. I was interested and looked it up online, but the timing and cost were prohibitive.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When my second book was accepted by another publisher we looked at how soon we should get the book out. I was determined not to push like I had for the first book. I wasn’t going to become a nervous wreck. It would come out when it came out, and that was that. However, the publisher pointed out that if we hurried the process along, it might be available for ICRS and he could market it to all of the buyers. This is only a once a year opportunity!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio_QfjYTWbv4w5v1f4kvNc-fqTsZ48u1qRg5U3Qf0o0eGAb0_I0aCrqs3h4_3quozy-fucO2NfuXn6Vf2t5Bm4B-S2-fzRXrkNnnM3W_KtutVdPRswRKnIBQXGWC9Zr-7_uKn9WNSH8zc/s1600/Larry+and+Bob.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio_QfjYTWbv4w5v1f4kvNc-fqTsZ48u1qRg5U3Qf0o0eGAb0_I0aCrqs3h4_3quozy-fucO2NfuXn6Vf2t5Bm4B-S2-fzRXrkNnnM3W_KtutVdPRswRKnIBQXGWC9Zr-7_uKn9WNSH8zc/s320/Larry+and+Bob.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">That sounded good to me. However, I still had no idea what happened at ICRS. Maybe you have wondered, too. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here is my best explanation. The publishers come and set up booths. All of the producers of the art, gifts, and what my husband likes to call “foo-foo” that is sold in Christian bookstores come and put out their displays. Then the buyers come and look. They are from small Christian bookstores and large chains. They come and see what they can see. They buy. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The publishers pull out all the stops. They have authors there signing and giving away copies of their new releases. People walk around with suitcases on rollers to haul away all of the books they accumulate.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We bought a rolling duffle to take with us, but we had no idea we would be offered free books everywhere we went. Ooh-la-lah! It was amazing. For a couple of book junkies it was. . . remarkable.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But, we weren’t there to buy books. We were there to talk to any book-buyer we could find. My goal was to tell everyone about my second book, The Double Cousins and the Mystery of the Torn Map. I had copies to give to interested parties. I had over a thousand business cards I was anxious to get into the hands of people who would stock my book in their store.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have learned that it is not easy to get a book into stores. Sometimes it requires going in person and convincing them they need to carry it. I’m just one person with a limited amount of time to devote to that process. Here, right within reach were hundreds of book buyers all WANTING to hear about books. Amazing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The second day we discovered the media floor. We were advised to go speak with a man from a local radio station. It was an opportunity to get my book into the hands of someone who could really spread the word.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On the media floor we also met with Mary Nichelson, one of the people who reviewed my first book. She had agreed to review the second one and when we realized she was there, we jumped at the chance to spend some time with her.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We also noticed a couple of other media outlets who focus on the markets I’m targeting for my series so we stopped by, leaving books and business cards. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Another unexpected highlight was the educational opportunities tucked into the day. While these marketing presentations were geared to bookstore owners, there were many helpful ideas for the market savvy author. We especially appreciated a talk about marketing through Facebook.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After two days of walking the floor of the exhibit hall we were exhausted but exhilarated. Not only had we seen a LOT of wonderful books and met some wonderful authors and buyers, but we had made some potentially profitable contacts. I will certainly want to go next year.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My husband just reminded me that in order to go next year I should have another new book. I guess I should be careful what I wish for. . .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnPiMIYf06UKxMDpE4x4EO59TavkEgeUfouP87EnM-r-23QOWPjQWjHgwW_37N6eUszWZUgLzr5rE5l1T_um11pGRRJWYZbNuLFUrNVTdN1PH0ndA-PaNEIQaaae04JE0AjVdtwtEPVEk/s1600/Miriam+Jones+Bradley+Candid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnPiMIYf06UKxMDpE4x4EO59TavkEgeUfouP87EnM-r-23QOWPjQWjHgwW_37N6eUszWZUgLzr5rE5l1T_um11pGRRJWYZbNuLFUrNVTdN1PH0ndA-PaNEIQaaae04JE0AjVdtwtEPVEk/s1600/Miriam+Jones+Bradley+Candid.jpg" /></a><span style="color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-themecolor: background1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span class="ecxgoogqs-tidbit1"><span style="color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-themecolor: background1;">Miriam Jones Bradley has lived from sea to shining sea but spent most of</span></span><span style="color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-themecolor: background1;"> her life in the Great Plains. She and her husband, Dr. Bruce Bradley, now make their home in Newberry, South Carolina. She is the author of <i>The Double Cousins</i> mystery series. Miriam attended Write2Ignite! 2011.</span><span style="color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-themecolor: background1;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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Remember: Write2Ignite! Conference 2012 – March 16-17, 2012 at North Greenville UniversityWrite2ignitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266315375662322726noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-685889110820584085.post-70309863550242394162011-07-21T22:10:00.000-04:002011-07-21T22:10:43.109-04:00REMINDER! A DAY APART REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS SATURDAY!<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">If you are planning on attending the July 30th workshop, "A Day APART", then consider this a reminder to get your registration in by Saturday (July 23). If you haven't made plans, check out this link: </span><a href="http://write2igniteblog.blogspot.com/p/summer-workshop-day-apart-july-30-2011.html"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">http://write2igniteblog.blogspot.com/p/summer-workshop-day-apart-july-30-2011.html</span></a></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><em>Hope to see you there! </em></span><br />
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<strong><u><span style="font-family: Arial;">REMEMBER: </span></u></strong><u><strong><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A Day Apart – Preparations</span></strong></u><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Complete the Registration Form. Mail it with the $45 Registration Fee to Write2Ignite! at 5707 Fairvista Dr., Charlotte, NC 28269. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We must receive your forms and fees no later than July 23, 2011.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">E-mail your manuscript to Write2Ignite@jeanmatthewhall.com BEFORE July 23, 2011. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bring three (3) hard copies of your manuscript (double spaced), your laptop (preferably with the battery charged) and a flash drive with your manuscript(s) saved to it. Each manuscript should be a completed draft of a picture book, an easy reader, an early chapter book or part of a mid-grade work (no more than 2000 words). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Your manuscript should be one that you think is complete, and that you have put aside and not read at all for at least one full week before the event.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bring a teachable spirit and a heart ready to help other writers learn and practice re-visioning techniques.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Please pray for Donna, Jill and Jean, and for the Lord to use this time to help all of us to sharpen our re-writing skills so that we can move forward on the Lord’s path for our writing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We hope to see you on July 30, 2011.</span><br />
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Write2Ignite! Conference 2012 – March 16-17, 2012 at North Greenville UniversityWrite2ignitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266315375662322726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-685889110820584085.post-68536275139051028202011-06-15T08:36:00.003-04:002011-06-21T16:43:38.749-04:00ANNOUNCEMENT: SUMMER WORKSHOP with WRITE2IGNITE!<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0LGkLKm6uGny77lZfRJYT2WRytDHh9JSy-1Lt5rSmGndCAqxY9LSa9KU5B878BStLFGzL6wCnYakyaeDXJyqs8qqfC8Ce3ZddLFEMKwtdo4cNa6LU4aNMEZTBfiCsDwgYTqZzNeLbD6I/s1600/write2ignite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0LGkLKm6uGny77lZfRJYT2WRytDHh9JSy-1Lt5rSmGndCAqxY9LSa9KU5B878BStLFGzL6wCnYakyaeDXJyqs8qqfC8Ce3ZddLFEMKwtdo4cNa6LU4aNMEZTBfiCsDwgYTqZzNeLbD6I/s1600/write2ignite.jpg" /></a><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Write2Ignite! Conference for Christian Writers of Children’s (and Youth’s) Literature Presents: </span></b></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;">A <em>Day Apart</em> on July 30, 2011</span></span></span></span></b></div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u></u></span></span></span></span></b><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We love to write, right? We love children; we love Jesus; we love the Bible; and we absolutely love to write to, and for, and about them all. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But how many of us dread re-writing? How many of us procrastinate with every possible excuse for not revisiting our manuscripts and making changes – BIG changes – that can make our stories stronger, better? Maybe we realize that we need to make some drastic changes, but we don’t know where to start? Or, perhaps our manuscripts are complete. Maybe we have received critical feedback from other writers, an agent or editor. But something still isn’t quite right.</span></div><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Could it be that our stories need more than revising? Could they need a total re-visioning?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A Day Apart is designed with those manuscripts in mind. It’s not another conference. It’s not a writer’s retreat. And it’s not just a workshop. It’s more than a critique group or a writer’s group. A Day Apart is bits of all these things rolled into one day. It is A Day Apart for us to focus on revision, and on helping each other perform radical surgery on ailing manuscripts. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Great writers soon learn that as we help each other we help ourselves. So we’ve designed A Day Apart to be an opportunity for all of us to do just that. We’ll work together in small groups, critique partnerships, and a large group to brainstorm new ways to look at old manuscripts. Then we’ll work individually to make radical changes and give new life to those stories.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Saturday, July 30, 2011, Write2Ignite! Team members Donna Earnhardt, Jill Lord and Jean Hall will lead a limited number of participants in A Day Apart. It will be a day to rethink the way we look at revision.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Donna, Jill and Jean will lay out some effective principles of revision by looking at critical elements (not grammar and mechanics, folks) in our stories. They will share their experiences revising their own manuscripts. We’ll all look at suggestions and checklists from experts and apply those to our stories that very day. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For A Day Apart we will meet at First Baptist Church of Indian Trail (off Hwy 74 near Charlotte, North Carolina) where we’ll have plenty of room to spread out and work. We’ll share a tasty lunch and the good company of other children’s writers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Participants should come prepared to learn from each other, to re-work one of their own manuscripts, and to give and receive honest feedback.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The cost for A Day Apart is $45 – Lunch, supplies (printer and paper, hand-outs, pens and highlighters) included. We’ll even have a few door prizes! Does A Day Apart sound like something you need for one of your manuscripts? Think about it. Pray about it. But don’t wait too long because A Day Apart is limited to 25 participants.</span><br />
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<u><strong><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A Day Apart – Preparations</span></strong></u><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Complete the Registration Form. Mail it with the $45 Registration Fee to Write2Ignite! at 5707 Fairvista Dr., Charlotte, NC 28269. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We must receive your forms and fees no later than July 23, 2011.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">E-mail your manuscript to Write2Ignite@jeanmatthewhall.com BEFORE July 23, 2011. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bring three (3) hard copies of your manuscript (double spaced), your laptop (preferably with the battery charged) and a flash drive with your manuscript(s) saved to it. Each manuscript should be a completed draft of a picture book, an easy reader, an early chapter book or part of a mid-grade work (no more than 2000 words). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Your manuscript should be one that you think is complete, and that you have put aside and not read at all for at least one full week before the event.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bring a teachable spirit and a heart ready to help other writers learn and practice re-visioning techniques.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Please pray for Donna, Jill and Jean, and for the Lord to use this time to help all of us to sharpen our re-writing skills so that we can move forward on the Lord’s path for our writing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We hope to see you on July 30, 2011.</span><br />
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<div class="ecxMsoNormal">For immediate download:</div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><a href="http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/2892597/registration-form-rev-pdf-june-20-2011-10-38-am-53k?da=y" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0068cf;">http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/2892597/registration-form-rev-pdf-june-20-2011-10-38-am-53k?da=y</span></a></div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"></div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Plans fail when there is no counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” Proverbs 15:22 HCSB</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't forget: Write2Ignite! Conference 2012 – March 16-17, 2012 at North Greenville University</span></i></div>Write2ignitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266315375662322726noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-685889110820584085.post-67324802230597234582011-06-03T00:27:00.000-04:002011-06-03T00:27:35.946-04:00DO YOU REMEMBER MARYBETH?<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Marybeth Whalen, that is. She did a terrific job last February as our key note speaker at Write2Ignite! 2011. Here’s sending a super big CONGRATULATIONS to her.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPTxnr85vzgzaS626Aahf_I9T-C2Ei8EOAbzw8CFbnwdXFM8kzN5jQxADxfedSsz5NTkspASpJgYYukd23eX4c6JvZR-NxllvhlWsZEeVHrIpMIR9roWMVuxtBtp8fJj4LFXY4yQo6Rlc/s1600/marybeth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPTxnr85vzgzaS626Aahf_I9T-C2Ei8EOAbzw8CFbnwdXFM8kzN5jQxADxfedSsz5NTkspASpJgYYukd23eX4c6JvZR-NxllvhlWsZEeVHrIpMIR9roWMVuxtBtp8fJj4LFXY4yQo6Rlc/s1600/marybeth.jpg" t8="true" /></a><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">No, there’s not a new baby at her house, but it’s something <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">almost</i> as good.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Marybeth’s new novel <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">She Makes It Look Easy </i>was released this week by David C. Cook.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You can order it from online stores or purchase it at your local Christian store. If they don’t have it on the shelf ASK FOR IT, please.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You can read about <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">She Makes It Look Easy</i> (or order it for yourself) at </span></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/She-Makes-Look-Easy-Novel/dp/0781403707/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1306375619&sr=1-1"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Amazon</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> or </span></span><a href="http://www.christianbook.com/she-makes-it-look-easy/marybeth-whalen/9780781403702/pd/403702?item_code=WW&netp_id=867342&event=ESRCN&view=details"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Christian Books</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you read it and love it (and I’m betting you will!) and want to find ways you can help Marybeth promote her new “baby,” click <a href="http://marybethwhalen.blogspot.com/2011/06/you-can-make-she-makes-it-look-easy.html">here</a> for a bunch of great ideas.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Also, please visit Marybeth’s blog, “</span></span><a href="http://marybethwhalen.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Cheaper by the Half Dozen</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">” and leave a comment. Be sure to let her know you found her on our Write2Ignite! Blog.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Blessings, ya’ll,</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Brush Script MT"; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Jean</span></span></div><br />
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Write2Ignite! Conference 2012 – March 16-17, 2012 at North Greenville UniversityWrite2ignitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266315375662322726noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-685889110820584085.post-55082393445848357712011-05-27T22:14:00.002-04:002011-05-31T23:03:51.931-04:00DID YOU EVER?<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>by Dr. Debbie DeCiantis</em></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol", "sans-serif"; font-size: large;">[Did you] Ever...</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol", "sans-serif"; font-size: large;">[Ever] say “Help,” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>but get excuses?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol", "sans-serif"; font-size: large;">Say, </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol", "sans-serif"; font-size: large;">“I don't see why”?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol", "sans-serif"; font-size: large;">Hear</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol", "sans-serif"; font-size: large;">“We need...”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol", "sans-serif"; font-size: large;">Think, </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol", "sans-serif"; font-size: large;">“<i>Not me</i>.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol", "sans-serif"; font-size: large;">Smile and hide a </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>judgment;</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol", "sans-serif"; font-size: large;">Agree </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>with mental reservation?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol", "sans-serif"; font-size: large;">Not come through</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol", "sans-serif"; font-size: large;">although</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol", "sans-serif"; font-size: large;">you'd said,</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol", "sans-serif"; font-size: large;">“I will”?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol", "sans-serif"; font-size: large;">My time is precious,</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol", "sans-serif"; font-size: large;">priorities inviolable,</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol", "sans-serif"; font-size: large;">schedule slammed</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol", "sans-serif"; font-size: large;">… (“Coffee Friday?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Great!”</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol", "sans-serif"; font-size: large;">… “lunch Saturday?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can't wait.”)</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol", "sans-serif"; font-size: large;">Sorry, but</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol", "sans-serif"; font-size: large;">I just can't make that</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol", "sans-serif"; font-size: large;">meeting – someone else</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol", "sans-serif"; font-size: large;">can handle it - </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">[<i>but I really don't like that</i></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol", "sans-serif"; font-size: large;">project you picked last week</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol", "sans-serif"; font-size: large;">when I was away...].</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol", "sans-serif"; font-size: large;">“I really love working</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">on...” … <i>oh, come on - </i></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol", "sans-serif"; font-size: large;">copies again?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol", "sans-serif"; font-size: large;">let me do what</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol", "sans-serif"; font-size: large;">I <s>do </s><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><s><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>like </s><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>best.</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol", "sans-serif"; font-size: large;">Extra job?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol", "sans-serif"; font-size: large;">Take a number.</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol", "sans-serif"; font-size: large;">Yes, Dad, I...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol", "sans-serif"; font-size: large;">won't.</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" name="table_bible"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" name="Psa_15_1_493001"></a><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol", "sans-serif"; font-size: large;">(Matthew 21:28 -32)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Andalus; font-size: large;">Yes – we are busy people; we must prioritize. I have observed, however, certain patterns emerging in myself and others that allow us to substitute avoidance for principled judgments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do I want to do something?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, I am much more likely to say yes and get involved immediately, without reflection or prayer – whether or not I should.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Andalus; font-size: large;">Do I dislike certain aspects of a project?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I have already said yes, I will most likely procrastinate, with a plethora of reasons why I just cannot begin that task yet – I don’t have what I need -- the environment, the circumstances, the timing are just not right...Do I fear failure?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ditto. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Andalus; font-size: large;">Do I feel overwhelmed because of other activities that I am unwilling to reexamine?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do I want to please others more than I want to determine whether God really wants me involved in all of these endeavors, worthy as they may be? Do I stay involved in a project I am convinced I should not have accepted because I do not know how to say, “This isn’t working.”? </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Andalus; font-size: large;">Don’t get me wrong – I am a firm believer in fulfilling commitments; I have quoted to others the portion of Psalm 15:4 referring to the one who “walks blamelessly and does what is right” (vs. 2) … ”…who swears to his own hurt and does not change.” I am not one to encourage others to bail on a commitment they have made.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know what it is like to experience God’s prompting to finish a project I had committed to years earlier – even if those who originally asked me had probably given up any expectation of ever seeing the results – in order to fulfill this principle. Followthrough is an essential skill in many sports, yet in sports the athlete almost always knows when to swing or pitch or shoot or throw.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes we lack that focused context in making decisions to begin, complete, defer, or abandon a project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are there principled ways to withdraw from a commitment – other than an unavoidable move, a serious emergency, illness, or disability?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am convinced that absent these obvious situations in which we would no longer be able to contribute, leaving a project can be done responsibly only within specific constraints:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I must have prayed and received release from God; I must make every effort to help find a suitable replacement while completing the most immediately pressing tasks I can in order to leave my vacant place in order for the next person to take up the project; I must apologize (without excuses) to those whom I leave to complete this project, admitting that my involvement was inadvisable from the start and remaining faithful to pray for those still involved.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Andalus;"><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">What if I become convinced after the fact that an endeavor is in fact ill-advised, unbiblical, or otherwise inappropriate based on information I did not have when I first got involved?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even then, I would have to apologize to those I leave behind, for at the very least, I should have investigated more, sought God for confirmation of the endeavor, before committing.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Andalus; font-size: large;">Anyone who knows me knows how easily I have overcommitted, neglecting important relationships for good but less necessary projects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My point is not that people should either do more or do less, but rather, that each of us must listen for the voice of the Father, being certain that when His prompting says, “Do this,” we not only give the correct response, but put our shoulders to the wheel and do the work.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Don't Forget! Write2Ignite! Conference 2012 – March</span> 16-17, 2012 at North Greenville UniversityWrite2ignitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266315375662322726noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-685889110820584085.post-19419731177214542812011-05-23T22:14:00.000-04:002011-05-23T22:14:13.227-04:00A RED VELVET MASTERPIECE<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><em><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.jillromanlord.com/">by Jill Roman Lord</a></span></em></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Ah, the sweet aroma of a cake baking. I was preparing my daughter’s 16<sup>th</sup> birthday cake the day after I arrived home from the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference. I had hoped to create a masterpiece of the Red Velvet Cake she had requested. As I carefully measured the ingredients and sprinkled them into the bowl, I recalled my very recent days at the conference and couldn’t help but feel like God had been doing the same thing at the conference. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">It seems like He provided the way for each of us to be there and carefully blended the lot of us together. He sprinkled new friendships and old friendships into the mixture of fabulous editors, agents, authors and producers. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">With the backdrop of the <place w:st="on"><placename w:st="on">North Carolina</placename> <placetype w:st="on">Mountains</placetype></place>, a beautiful facility and gorgeous weather, the stage was set for a masterpiece of a week to be made. The combination of educational classes, beautiful worship music, moving keynote speakers with a hilarious talent show stirred in created the perfect opportunity for growth. God blessed us with quaint moments at the coffee shop with friends, quiet walks through the prayer garden, and late nights filled with laughing ‘til our sides hurt. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">And just like it is important to put ingredients into a batter in a particular order, I noticed ‘God Appointments’ happening at precise moments. God intricately crossed people’s paths for new friendships to form, for encouragement to occur, lessons to learn, and writers to grow. He provided opportunities to cheer on new friends, build each other up as writers, share our strengths, and learn from each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">As a cake needs heat to bake, the heat was certainly on at the conference as we pitched our manuscripts or ideas to the editors, agents and producers. Instructors and critiquers cranked up the heat a notch with challenges to push us to make each manuscript stronger or tighter, to extend ourselves further in our writing, to work harder, step out of our comfort zones, and to reach for new heights to produce the best products possible. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">The icing on the cake was the banquet on the last evening. After a delicious dinner was served on white linen-covered tables, and after the last bites of the ‘to die for’ desserts were consumed, the awards ceremony began. Here anticipation and elation filled the room as numerous awards in various categories were given. Friends cheered for each other, hardy pats on the back were issued and heart-felt hugs were embraced with the recipients of the awards. Many pictures were taken in hopes of preserving the memories of the week. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">God must have been smiling down on his creation of a Red Velvet Masterpiece week as if to say, “Ah, the sweet aroma of Christian Authors connecting, bonding, and growing to share My love and My message with the world.”</div><br />
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Write2Ignite! Conference 2012 – March 16-17, 2012 at North Greenville UniversityWrite2ignitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266315375662322726noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-685889110820584085.post-27994142195610077862011-05-16T22:29:00.002-04:002011-05-16T22:40:59.256-04:00Gates of Excellence<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">by <a href="http://www.jeanmatthewhall.com/">Jean Matthew Hall</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Months and months ago—I forget just when—I was perusing my local used book store. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.insiderpages.com/b/3717297890/the-book-lady-monroe">The Book Lady</a></b>. Oh, how I love that crowded little store with books crammed into mis-matched shelves, and stacked in corners and on tables of every size and shape. I’ll never buy another <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>new</u></i> cookbook when <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Book Lady</b> has so many wonderful editions scattered like powdered sugar on and around an old red and white enamel Hoosier.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But I am wandering up and down the stacks. Back to my point.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I picked up a little book because I recognized the author’s name (and who wouldn’t in our world of children’s literature?) <a href="http://www.terabithia.com/">Katherine Paterson</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At home I squeezed it onto the top shelf near my computer and forgot about it.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m so sorry that I did.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A day or two ago a blog I was reading mentioned the title and, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ding! a</i> bell sounded in my little head. I scrounged through my book shelves until I found that title hiding sheepishly behind bigger, bolder, newer books.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEiQknN9C0e3Kg0HQSwMh425y20zrlLTM9y3mLN4_IeYwGVgdtaIPJWD9ay890fl9rEEOXj1J0M1KfJlQjZhpDb4R4rpaqw7lccKroaiFIjCyojn2AKQlOaqmEo765EncjGs-9nhxPy6U/s1600/gates+of+excellence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEiQknN9C0e3Kg0HQSwMh425y20zrlLTM9y3mLN4_IeYwGVgdtaIPJWD9ay890fl9rEEOXj1J0M1KfJlQjZhpDb4R4rpaqw7lccKroaiFIjCyojn2AKQlOaqmEo765EncjGs-9nhxPy6U/s1600/gates+of+excellence.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Katherine Paterson’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gates of Excellence on Reading and Writing Books for Children</i> looks so unimposing on the outside. But don’t judge this book by its cover. These 125 pages are dripping with just exactly what I needed to read and remember.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Diamonds.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Emeralds.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Rubies and all sorts of jewels for those of us who write for children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These gems of truth are set in the glittering phrases and sentences and paragraphs of Terabithia’s creator.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Dear writing friends, if you need a little inspiration you’ll find it tucked in these leaves.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you need to be reminded of why you write for children, or read to children, or teach children look no further. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gates of Excellence</i> will transport you back to that moment when, for the first time, you knew—you really KNEW—that you were meant to help children.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You were meant to share God’s truth, or God’s love, or God’s acceptance or forgiveness through the stories you mine from your imagination, or the information and lessons you draw from the complex beauty of God’s created world.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you fell in love with the seemingly effortless beauty and grace of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Bridge to Terabithia</i> you will cling to every word of this book, too. Here’s one wee bit of it from pages 113-114:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">…it occurs to me that I have spent a good part of my life trying to construct bridges. Usually my bridges have turned out looking much more like the bridge of Terabithia, a few planks over a nearly dry gully, than like that elegant span across the Narrows. There were so many chasms I saw that needed bridging—chasms of time and culture and disparate human nature—that I began sawing and hammering at the rough wood planks for my children and for any other children who might read what I had written.</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But of course I could not make a bridge for them any more than I could conjure one up that night on Long Island. I discovered gradually and not without a little pain that you don’t put together a bridge for a child. You become one—you lay yourself across the chasm.</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It is there in the Simon and Garfunkel song—</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Like a bridge over troubled water</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I will lay me down…</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The waters to be crossed are not always troubled. The land on the other side of the river may be flowing with joy, not to mention milk and honey. But still the bridge that the child trusts or delights in—and, in my case, the book that will take children from where they are to where they might be—needs to be made not from synthetic or inanimate objects, but from the stuff of life. And a writer has no life to give but her own.</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">May I add my humble opinion here?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As Christians who write for children we do not have to dot our manuscripts with churchy words, or Bible verses or references to Jesus for them to reveal the TRUTH to our readers. What we need to reveal to our readers are the eternal truths that we know about God, about the universe He created, about His love and forgiveness, about his power and beauty as it is reflected in His revelations of Himself in nature, in God’s Word, in Jesus’ earthly life, in our lives as His Holy Spirit lives and breathes through us.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We don’t have to tack on a good little Bible lesson to our stories to point children to the Author of all Truth. We just have to be faithful to let that TRUTH reveal Himself through our words.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A writer has no life to give but her own.</i>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Give to whom? It’s noble to give our lives to or for someone else. But it is most noble to give our lives to Christ Jesus. Then, whether we write or illustrate, sing or dance, teach or manage, build or demolish the products of our lives will reveal that Eternal TRUTH to our readers.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;"><strong>Don't forget -- Write2Ignite! Conference 2012 – March 16-17, 2012 at North Greenville University</strong></span></em>Write2ignitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266315375662322726noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-685889110820584085.post-74160458006020319452011-05-13T23:42:00.001-04:002011-05-13T23:43:11.434-04:00What was I thinking?When I started this whole "writing" thing, I thought it would be fun.<br />
I was right.<br />
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I thought it would be an adventure.<br />
I was right. <br />
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I thought it would be a piece of cake... because I have been "writing all my life". <br />
I.<br />
Was.<br />
Wrong.<br />
<br />
Some days, the words flow from my pen as easy as water flows into the ocean.<br />
Other days, trying to find the right words is like pulling hen's teeth. <br />
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And as far as I know, hen don't have teeth. <br />
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I have stories in the drawer that need major overhauls. I have stories that will never see the light of day again. I have stories I want to write - but that need to percolate a bit more before putting them to paper. <br />
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Some days, I get lot of stuff written - and it's good. <br />
Some days, I get NOTHING written. <br />
Some days, I write - and I probably shouldn't have. <br />
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It's all part of the journey. A wild, crazy, frustrating and wonderfully fabulous journey. <br />
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And if I'm honest, I would do it all again. And again. And again. <br />
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What about you?<br />
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Write2Ignite! Conference 2012 – March 16-17, 2012 at North Greenville UniversityWrite2ignitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266315375662322726noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-685889110820584085.post-45201115680627017872011-05-12T00:10:00.000-04:002011-05-13T16:24:26.651-04:00A thought from another blog...Who are you writing for?<br />
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<a href="http://www.dcjacobson.com/booktalk/index.php/2011/05/writing-for-an-audience-of-one/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+dcjacobson/booktalk+(BookTalk)&utm_content=Google+Reader">http://www.dcjacobson.com/booktalk/index.php/2011/05/writing-for-an-audience-of-one/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+dcjacobson/booktalk+(BookTalk)&utm_content=Google+Reader</a><br />
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peace,<br />
the Write2ignite team<br />
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<em>Write2Ignite! Conference 2012 – March 16-17, 2012 at North Greenville University</em>Write2ignitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266315375662322726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-685889110820584085.post-4142635409192471712011-05-03T05:00:00.001-04:002011-05-03T07:29:45.230-04:00BLOG CONTEST WINNER!<div class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Howdy ya’ll and yee-haw!</span></div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">We have some HUGE news for you.</span></div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">We are thrilled to announce the winner of our very first Write2Ignite! Blog Contest.</span></div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif";">Congratulations to <b><u><a href="http://www.dlsharples.com/">Diana Sharples</a></u></b> of Canton, Georgia. Her proposal for her Inspirational YA, <i>The Fifth Generation, </i>will be sent to <a href="http://www.dcjacobson.com/">Jenni Burke of D. C. Jacobson & Associates, LLC</a> for a critique and lots more. Rejoice with her, folks. Send her a note of congratulations at <a href="mailto:diana@dlsharples.com"><span style="color: #0068cf;">diana@dlsharples.com</span></a>.</span></div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Many thanks to all of the Write2Igniters who sent in your proposals. We are looking forward to seeing you all again next year – March 16-17, 2012 – at North Greenville University. We’re already planning for some special presenters, some great workshop topics, tons of fellowship, and FABULOUS door prizes! </span></div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">See you next March.</span></div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Jean & The Team</span></div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">p.s. We’re hoping that, in the near future, Diana will share with us here on our blog all the good things that come from winning this contest. </span></div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><br />
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Write2Ignite! Conference 2012 – March 16-17, 2012 at North Greenville UniversityWrite2ignitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266315375662322726noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-685889110820584085.post-4332270072270860622011-04-28T00:09:00.089-04:002011-04-28T00:09:00.112-04:00Are you writing or dreaming about it?by Donna Earnhardt<br />
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Okay, so you say you're a writer. But what are you doing to prove it? Are you actually writing?<br />
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Where does the time in your day go? There are many folks, things and situations in our day that need our attention. For example:<br />
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Do you have children (or grandchildren) at home?<br />
Do you have a day or night job? Or maybe even 2 or 3 jobs?<br />
Are you a caregiver?<br />
Do you volunteer?<br />
Do you spend quality time with your family?<br />
Are you a minister?<br />
A choir director?<br />
A youth leader?<br />
Do you go shopping for groceries, cook and clean?<br />
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The life-list above could go on...but you get the idea, I'm sure. And I bet you can add tons more to the list! And sometimes, those very important things do take up all of our day. By the time bedtime rolls around, we are ready to fall out! <br />
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However, if we are honest, there are probably many moments, days, hours and days *gasp* that we waste. Sometimes we waste our moments on things that are perfectly fine activities...we just lose track of time. I know, I know... it's hard to admit. Let's take a look -- how much time do we spend doing these things during the day:<br />
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talking on the phone<br />
tweeting<br />
blogging<br />
watching TV<br />
reading email<br />
reading/updating facebook<br />
playing video games<br />
playing internet games<br />
reading/updating Goodreads<br />
etc...etc...<br />
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There is nothing wrong with doing any of the things above - as long as they are in moderation. It is very easy to get sucked into time on the computer and other electronic devices, but never get any writing done! My suggestion is to log your hours on the computer and see how much time you are spending on the stuff <em>other </em>than writing. If you find you are spending 7 hours a week on social networking...and only 2 hours on writing and submitting...there just might be a priority problem! <br />
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As writers, we need to write. We have to find a way to make it happen. Maybe you can only write on the weekends. That's okay! But write on the weekends. <br />
Maybe you can only write two nights a week. FINE -- but write those two nights. <br />
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Maybe you can only write one Saturday a month -- not a problem. Make every second count. <br />
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Find the schedule that works for you...and make it work. To quote the Nike catch phrase -- <strong>JUST DO IT! </strong><br />
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And now... I need to go practice what I preach. Microsoft word...here I come! <br />
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<em>Write2Ignite! Conference 2012 – March 16-17, 2012 at North Greenville University</em>Write2ignitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266315375662322726noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-685889110820584085.post-77999752915630918002011-04-25T09:46:00.000-04:002011-04-25T09:46:20.508-04:00A Day in the Life of a Fabulous Agent...Rachelle Gardner!While perusing the internet last week, I was searched for "A Day in the Life of a Literary Agent". Several great posts came up, but one really caught my eye. So, I went out on a limb and emailed Rachelle Gardner, agent extraordinaire with WordServe Literary...and asked if we could post of her post from last year on this very subject. She graciously said YES! <br />
<div id="uds-searchControl"><div class="gsc-clear-button" id="uds-searchClearResults" style="display: none;"></div><div class="gsc-clear-button" style="display: none;">If you don't know who Rachelle Gardner is or you don't know about WordServe Literary, we can fix that very easily! </div><div class="gsc-clear-button" style="display: none;">Click here for more info on Rachelle here: <a href="http://cba-ramblings.blogspot.com/2007/10/my-official-bio.html"><span style="font-size: x-small;">http://cba-ramblings.blogspot.com/2007/10/my-official-bio.html</span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></div><div class="gsc-clear-button" style="display: none;">and for more info on Wordserve Literary here: <a href="http://www.wordserveliterary.com/"><span style="font-size: x-small;">http://www.wordserveliterary.com/</span></a></div><div class="gsc-clear-button" style="display: none;"></div><div class="gsc-clear-button" style="display: none;">After you read this, we would love for you to hop over to Mrs. Gardner's blog and leave her a comment. ENJOY! </div><div class="gsc-clear-button" style="display: none;"></div></div><div class="widget Blog" id="Blog1"><div class="blog-posts hfeed"><div class="date-outer"><div class="date-posts"><div class="post-outer"><div class="post hentry"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" name="7592139295356383033"></a><br />
<h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://cba-ramblings.blogspot.com/2010/02/day-in-life.html"><span style="font-size: large;">A Day in the Life</span></a> <h2 class="date-header"><em><span style="font-size: small;">by Rachelle Gardner (</span></em><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">originally posted Tuesday, February 16, 2010)</span></em></h2></h3><div class="post-header-line-1"></div><div class="post-body entry-content" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOvQntAixD-dQF_KZH4Up3Lrmzmdy6I9Q_DORx0SYQ76xdX08vOT2jOOWBNmeWcoHMd9_65E-Wl1TqiJxGUxPK3bOSMq4Zl0aMlDKKT6TCY_awlcsm3Sgcun-fjkF45vd6LWU2iPKmblg/s1600/rachelle+gardner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOvQntAixD-dQF_KZH4Up3Lrmzmdy6I9Q_DORx0SYQ76xdX08vOT2jOOWBNmeWcoHMd9_65E-Wl1TqiJxGUxPK3bOSMq4Zl0aMlDKKT6TCY_awlcsm3Sgcun-fjkF45vd6LWU2iPKmblg/s1600/rachelle+gardner.jpg" /></a>People are always telling me they'd like to hear about a typical day for an agent. But I have yet to experience a typical day. When you have a large number of clients, working on a wide variety of projects, which are all in various stages of writing or publication, the days provide endlessly changing entertainment.<br />
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Of course, I'm sure there are many agents who aren't as A.D.D. as I am, and some of them probably have routines to which they adhere. However "they" are not "me."<br />
<br />
I organize my days according to <strong>my priority list</strong>. My tasks for the day depend on what needs to be done, and I stay very clear on what's <strong>important</strong>, what's <strong>urgent</strong>, what's <strong>both</strong> and what's <strong>neither</strong>.<br />
<br />
I also (very Jerry-Maguire or Ari-Gold-like) have a penchant for pacing around my office wearing my phone headset. I don't scream things like "<em>Lloyd, get me Vinnie Chase!</em>" and I rarely say "Show me da money," but I <em>have</em> been known to politely inquire, "Could we go any higher?" with quite satisfactory results.<br />
<br />
When I'm not pacing around acting like a movie version of myself, here's how I prioritize my daily work:<br />
<br />
<strong>1. Contracts and Payments.</strong><br />
Fielding offers, negotiating deals, scrutinizing contracts, discussing clauses and terms with publishers, walking clients through their contracts, making sure the contract gets executed properly. Following up on advance and royalty payments, making sure publishers pay clients in a timely manner, examining royalty statements for accuracy.<br />
<br />
<strong>2. Submitting projects to publishers.</strong><br />
Working with authors to prepare their proposals and manuscripts; preparing lists of editors to whom we'll submit; getting projects out to publishers; following up appropriately.<br />
<br />
<strong>3. All other client-related work.</strong><br />
Answering random questions; reading their latest work and offering feedback; coaching on marketing, promotion, career planning; brainstorming ideas for future projects; handling interaction with their publishers on everything from titles to book covers to extended deadlines and more; being a listening ear whenever necessary.<br />
<br />
<strong>4. Finding new clients.</strong><br />
This includes careful consideration of all incoming queries, reading requested partials and full manuscripts, sometimes offering detailed feedback whether or not I'm saying yes to representation. It also includes proactively pursuing authors I'd like to represent.<br />
<br />
As you can see, there's a wide variety of tasks that might come up on any given day. I'd go crazy if I didn't have my priority list! I tend to handle tasks in categories 1, 2, and 3 during business hours. Nights and weekends are for incoming queries, reading manuscripts (clients and potential clients), and blogging.<br />
<br />
If you're an unpubbed writer, you might be dismayed that reading incoming queries is the bottom of the priority list. I <em>do</em> need to keep up with them because I don't want to miss a potentially great writer sitting in my slush pile. And yet, if I'm swamped with <em>current</em> clients, I'm less able to pay attention to all those potential <em>new</em> clients.<br />
<br />
So when you're seeking representation, you're not top priority. However, <strong>that's actually great news</strong>. It means that once you become a client, you are now the agent's top priority.<br />
<br />
While there's no such thing as "typical" and it often feels more like a circus complete with juggling and high-flying trapeze acts, one thing is consistent: The needs of my clients determine the trajectory of each day.<br />
<br />
Q4U: Do you have some kind of vision or stereotype of what you think an agent's day is like? Tell us!</div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br />
<em><span style="color: red; font-size: x-small;">(Don't forget...Write2Ignite! Conference 2012 – March 16-17, 2012 at North Greenville University!)</span></em>Write2ignitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266315375662322726noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-685889110820584085.post-68811303340646412492011-04-22T21:44:00.000-04:002011-04-22T21:44:25.036-04:00AnnouncementsA huge thanks to all who entered our first contest! The contest is now closed and all entries are being reviewed. We hope to have the winner announced by May 1, so check back for the big announcement!<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Also, we now have a flier for our 2012 conference. I will post it to our website on Monday or Tuesday so you can share it with anyone and everyone! </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div>Write2ignitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266315375662322726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-685889110820584085.post-21272880648741936512011-04-16T23:04:00.000-04:002011-04-16T23:04:30.705-04:00WRITE2IGNITE! 2012<b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYAurIrlsTbPBKhagdGyCQyN3pyZw0WMjAArompyZ7q59PNQi4Tt9ostKigogSeUWNG2VygyFPFn7z4vzJ7y7dA0Qp817S0XlbtkczPyS3NQqiFAQ_G2O6e27OF376w5khkOortfdd0q4/s1600/writing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYAurIrlsTbPBKhagdGyCQyN3pyZw0WMjAArompyZ7q59PNQi4Tt9ostKigogSeUWNG2VygyFPFn7z4vzJ7y7dA0Qp817S0XlbtkczPyS3NQqiFAQ_G2O6e27OF376w5khkOortfdd0q4/s1600/writing.jpg" /></a></div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Ta-da-ta-da! Announcing Write2Ignite! 2012 at North Greenville University in Tigerville, SC, <b>March 16-17, 2012. </b> Mark your calendars and spread the word. </span></div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">How can you spread the word?</span></div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Post a link to this announcement on your own blog.</span></div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Tweet the link for this post.</span></div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Shout out this link on FaceBook.</span></div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Tell your connections on LinkedIn or Good Reads.</span></div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Encourage folks on any list serves to which you belong to visit our blog or website. (ie: SCBWI list serves, Yahoo groups)</span></div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Start a dialogue on Verla Kay’s, Children’s Lit or other chat boards.</span></div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Email your critique groups and writing buddies.</span></div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Share our Write2Ignite! business cards at every writing-related event you attend. Email <a href="mailto:write2ignite@jeanmatthewhall.com">Jean</a> to request some cards.</span></div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Thanks, ya’ll!</span></div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Blessings,</span></div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Jean and the Team</span></div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"></div></span></b>Write2ignitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266315375662322726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-685889110820584085.post-85914769934389424272011-04-11T22:29:00.001-04:002011-04-12T21:04:38.730-04:00Paying Market - Call for Submissions - God Makes Lemonade<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Hey folks! Don Jacobson, President of D.C. Jacobson and Associates (and former owner of Multnomah Publishing) has a new writing project and he wants your stories! I think Mr. Jacobson best explains the project in the video below...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/89-wNp8HfJQ?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Palatino Linotype;"></span>God Makes Lemonade” is sort of a fresh take on “Chicken Soup for the Soul,” focusing on stories of how God took sour circumstances in someone’s life and blessed them with a surprisingly sweet ending. Every author whose work is selected will receive $250, plus their name in the book of course. You can find the submission info on their blog here: <a href="http://godmakeslemonade.com/authorblog/">http://godmakeslemonade.com/authorblog/</a> and you can submit here: <br />
<a href="http://www.godmakeslemonade.com/user">http://www.godmakeslemonade.com/user</a><br />
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Please let us know if you submit and what happens. We hope to see many of the Write2ignite names in the book!Write2ignitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266315375662322726noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-685889110820584085.post-87331409932929596552011-04-07T11:01:00.000-04:002011-04-07T11:01:00.550-04:00You can't always get what you want...When you were 7 years old, did you think you would be at the place you are now in life? Did you imagine you'd be living in the place you are? Eating the food you eat? Weighing what you weigh? Did you have any idea that life would be so hard? <br />
<br />
When we were children, we reasoned like children. We acted like children. And we reacted like children. But now that we are adults...what's our excuse?<br />
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And for that matter - what in the world does this have to do with writing? We'll get there. Give me a sec...<br />
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When my 7 year old doesn't get to do something that her 13 year old sister gets to do, she gets all bent out of shape. "But SHE got to go!" or "That's not fair!" There's the ever popular, "But I'm 7...I can do it!" <br />
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And not to let my 13 year old off easy -- she thinks that she should get to do anything my hubby and I do! If I have a laptop, she thinks she should get one. If I have a phone - she thinks she should, too. <br />
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Both of the kiddos have that childlike reasoning... "I want it - therefore I should get it." <br />
<br />
And when I explain why they can't get what they want just yet, they break down and cry much of the time. They don't understand. They can't grasp that I know what is best for them. They don't understand that I want to give them what they want - but they just aren't ready for it yet. <br />
<br />
Sometimes, they they aren't physically or emotionally ready. Sometimes, they aren't mature enough to handle the responsibility that comes with all the things they want. And sometimes, they haven't worked for any of privileges they desire and need to put forth more effort! <br />
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In my life as an adult...who writes and wants lots of good stuff in my writing career...I'm afraid I've felt and acted the same way as my 13 and seven year old! I ask God, "Why can't I have a six-figure deal? She's got one!" or "I've been writing all my life. I should have an agent, too!" or the ever popular, "It's just not fair!" <br />
<br />
I think, just like my seven year old, <em>because I want it...I should just get it. </em><br />
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But have I put in the necessary effort to work toward my goal? Or do I think I should have publishing deals just b/c my friends have them? Have I worked toward my goal with as much gusto as I can...or have I spent the majority of my time on facebook, twitter or blogging? Have I tried my best to better my work or am I still sending out manuscripts I haven't edited in five years, hoping it's good enough? Do I have friends who tell me the truth about my work, or am I so sensitive that I can't handle criticism? Am I mature enough (emotionally and spiritually) to handle the responsibility that comes with an agent or book deal?<br />
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I don't know if I am, or not. I want to believe I am. But sometimes, I realize I'm just not there yet. I need more maturing. I need to work harder. I need to do what I am being called to do...and quit being lazy! I need to make time to write. I need to submit. Then I need to do it all over again.<br />
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And then I need to enjoy the journey knowing the Lord will give me the good things He has planned for me...when He decides I'm ready for them.<br />
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To put it bluntly, I need to get my act together...and act my age! <br />
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How 'bout you?<br />
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(See what Paul had to say about this in I Corinthians 13:11!)Write2ignitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266315375662322726noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-685889110820584085.post-64996042258055730572011-04-04T01:35:00.001-04:002011-04-04T07:59:11.280-04:00Allergies are to spring as writer's block is to creativity... RIGHT?<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em><a href="http://wordwranglernc.wordpress.com/">by Donna Earnhardt</a></em></span><br />
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Yellow stuff is everywhere and mass sneezing has commenced. It's official...spring will soon be here! If you have allergies, you know the pain and yuck that the pollen brings. </div><br />
Red, swollen and itchy eyes, scratchy throats and sneezing (at the most inopportune times) are signs of the times. If you have allergies, yardwork becomes more than a chore, it is a nightmare. Hiking is out of the question. And outdoor acitivities come to a halt. <em>UNLESS, of course, you take your medicine.</em> Yep. Medicine. If you don't take your medicine, your allergies might keep you from doing all the things you usually love to do.<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFHrUTJN-c-mnKQQbo499oBz03LrmjUB9TdZwM2KcCd01fN0Dl9WKXbojsTWsO6nNQpXZLHYW4UbJhrAemsbIdUnA2_qJwLmwdqyzVIuNBeXULAzMKlJwI68UIfk152weHR3Ull_fRbY/s1600/hand+keyboard+blur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFHrUTJN-c-mnKQQbo499oBz03LrmjUB9TdZwM2KcCd01fN0Dl9WKXbojsTWsO6nNQpXZLHYW4UbJhrAemsbIdUnA2_qJwLmwdqyzVIuNBeXULAzMKlJwI68UIfk152weHR3Ull_fRbY/s320/hand+keyboard+blur.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>So what does this have to do with writing?<br />
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Stick with me for a minute...<br />
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When we get "writer's block", we are stuck somewhere other than where we want to be. Staring at the blank computer screen is no longer a challenge, it's an "I can't take this anymore" frame of mind. Character sketches? Not gonna happen. And writing an outline? FUGGETABOUTIT!<br />
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When our creativity is blocked, we are stopped from doing what it is we want to do...write! <br />
But we have to remember - We don't always feel inspired. We don't always feel like writing. We don't always have grandiose ideas that will change the world. <br />
<br />
So if allergy-sufferers can take medicine to help with their issue - why can't we?<br />
<br />
Who says we can't? And what does the medicine look like?<br />
<br />
I have a theory. I believe the medicine - the cure - is found in the very thing that seems to elude us... WORDS. <br />
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So how does that work? Here is the rest of my theory and solution...<br />
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1. PRAY. Yes. Pray. God cares about your life. He cares about your struggles. He cares about how you use the gift He has given you! Use your <strong>words</strong> to share your struggles with our Creator! Write Him a letter of prayer. Yes, He already knows what's in it. But what are you doing when you write down what's going on? You are WRITING...the very thing that eluded you and tormented you! (See what I mean?)<br />
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2. Apart from your letter writing, sit down and just write something everyday- anything! A line of verse, a random thought, a paragraph that sounds like it was written by a first grader vamped up on mountain dew. If it turns out to be gobbly-gook - who cares? You're not submitting it the next day, are you? Write. Don't stop. Set the time for 5, 10 or 15 minutes a day and write, write, write. Don't throw away your work, either. Keep it in a folder that says, "Fighting Back" or "Writer's Block No MORE". You need to remind yourself that you are a writer and this is your job. (Even if none of those things end up in a book, you have a written record that you didn't take the easy road out. You fought back!) <br />
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My hubby doesn't always feel like going to work when his allergies kick in...but he does. He takes his medicine and gets back to his job. The days aren't always the best and sometimes, he wishes he could have a "do-over". But he doesn't let his allergies keep him cooped up. He doesn't always feel like biking when the pollen is sticking to his bike seat. But he does it anyway! <br />
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3. Repeat 1 and 2 as necessary. <br />
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That's my theory and I'm sticking to it. <br />
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What do YOU think of my theory? Do you have one of your own?Write2ignitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266315375662322726noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-685889110820584085.post-424659599710459122011-03-31T15:04:00.000-04:002011-03-31T15:04:26.674-04:00DEADLINE TODAY and Write2ignite Family news<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1C7RHqvYMItjan_m43scfQZv1w3zl64rp6tuYKNg45DuESd-tyMTyua3XKG_Pp-RZ9vgRYs9OMkqPa_9jceNt-ZWepyk5kZK8oKEF9PBayTgqVFsv4UFW5N22AoXS0Vm6_TxT9LavHk0/s1600/One+of+the+many+one+on+one+conference+appointments+with+agents+and+editors+%2528Agent+Jenny+Burke%252C+left%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1C7RHqvYMItjan_m43scfQZv1w3zl64rp6tuYKNg45DuESd-tyMTyua3XKG_Pp-RZ9vgRYs9OMkqPa_9jceNt-ZWepyk5kZK8oKEF9PBayTgqVFsv4UFW5N22AoXS0Vm6_TxT9LavHk0/s320/One+of+the+many+one+on+one+conference+appointments+with+agents+and+editors+%2528Agent+Jenny+Burke%252C+left%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Hi folks! Today is the deadline for our "Proposal" contest with agent Jenni Burke! If you have been planning on entering, but haven't yet, you have until 11:59pm tonight. Get those entries in! If you want more info, click <a href="http://write2igniteblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/write2ignite-presents-our-first.html">HERE</a>. <br />
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******<br />
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Also, we would like to ask for your prayers for Jean's husband. He is in the hospital with pneumonia and some other health issues. Please continue to pray for his healing, wisdom for the doctors and patience in the process. <br />
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We appreciate your support and prayers!Write2ignitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266315375662322726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-685889110820584085.post-64634526174062293012011-03-27T21:55:00.053-04:002011-03-27T22:30:40.487-04:00Write2Ignite! 2011 Teen Track<a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_447170907"></span><span id="goog_447170908"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"> <b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Write2Ignite 2011 Teens Ignite Me! </span></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><strong><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: large;">by <a href="http://carolbaldwinblog.blogspot.com/">Carol Baldwin</a></span><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span></strong></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFBw9fC0LwvuFr1Z0U0s8KP3WFl1Znbwk7rESOynSLSv3xDGId5FViWfpbmsCrfsXVt6et0SpOYouxDMH2xOpJ_q19T8FwA7Y6TsRq7II_E3FEfeKmYF2zmpY4-9x13MNVB3aS4BljqiE/s1600/IMGP5280.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFBw9fC0LwvuFr1Z0U0s8KP3WFl1Znbwk7rESOynSLSv3xDGId5FViWfpbmsCrfsXVt6et0SpOYouxDMH2xOpJ_q19T8FwA7Y6TsRq7II_E3FEfeKmYF2zmpY4-9x13MNVB3aS4BljqiE/s1600/IMGP5280.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTGeyrxTB_dbeDYcRVuxBLZgFClASADLVKRPbBumositoeCpFfLZVXGIO3sdo7kpzNj-W7Ar0FLCdMioiO391IdRr5pRiMZcl24rM2opi1mySxkmwbHq1kk_XNSh8NtePzYl9OZlJCvA8/s1600/IMGP5280.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><img border="0" height="0" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTGeyrxTB_dbeDYcRVuxBLZgFClASADLVKRPbBumositoeCpFfLZVXGIO3sdo7kpzNj-W7Ar0FLCdMioiO391IdRr5pRiMZcl24rM2opi1mySxkmwbHq1kk_XNSh8NtePzYl9OZlJCvA8/s200/IMGP5280.JPG" width="0" /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJWjf58ZGGdPzJoL0BGlZ_Nin7Unq-CnR0jM6OcdkjRs1GORufTKhZ0Np5rTfm0gpvatSh9MapmBXW10gegkFvl4w86qya6SR1-7ir5vbqHAKEJzbXp78bfIKSqFn3VEHEMWSyKDpRu10/s1600/W2Ignite+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><img border="0" height="0" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJWjf58ZGGdPzJoL0BGlZ_Nin7Unq-CnR0jM6OcdkjRs1GORufTKhZ0Np5rTfm0gpvatSh9MapmBXW10gegkFvl4w86qya6SR1-7ir5vbqHAKEJzbXp78bfIKSqFn3VEHEMWSyKDpRu10/s200/W2Ignite+002.JPG" width="0" /></span></a><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">It never fails. When I teach teens I feel as if I receive as much as I give. That was my experience teaching twelve teens at the recent </span><a href="https://www.write2ignite.com/Home_Page.php"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Write2Ignite</span></a><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> conference.</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBVVL-CtgAtwtbNut6fDngWGI3GP2D8WATGTlKaFY5DZd2L8egjJm4qYhyVL2B7aOk00is982dFuP81qYOESMtfA2lxZX3YNv5iNHBh2GgrP_3fwAOr9KFli5lFCNQFQKRh-7Ouz6qoVA/s1600/IMGP5280.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><img border="0" height="0" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBVVL-CtgAtwtbNut6fDngWGI3GP2D8WATGTlKaFY5DZd2L8egjJm4qYhyVL2B7aOk00is982dFuP81qYOESMtfA2lxZX3YNv5iNHBh2GgrP_3fwAOr9KFli5lFCNQFQKRh-7Ouz6qoVA/s200/IMGP5280.JPG" width="0" /></span></a><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">We came together as a group of strangers- some more tentative than others- but we all had the same passion: a love for writing.</span></div></div></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Using activities from my book, </span><a href="http://carolbaldwinblog.blogspot.com/p/teaching-storyfiction-writing-in-grades.html"><i><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Teaching the Story: Fiction Writing in Grades 4-8</span></i></a><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">,</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> students learned how to exercise muscle words, welcome revision, and jazz up their writing. Here is a sample of what they came up with:</span></span></span></div></div></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">The sentence, "I walked through a cemetery and heard eerie sounds.”</span></div></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Became,</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">"I stalked through a graveyard and I heard bat wings flapping at the beat of my heart.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWczkLK-sshIfHE_XPM2swzJagETfm2EEth_j4vwEy_jeWp5NzdMG5yzqh4JFO968_taSkO_hgTTiu6119dSFUD6hRDhT8vDkPgu24KMfvCL855vQ1nG5wWLoxL2PWSKIbYo4RDQBCaBc/s1600/W2Ignite+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><img border="0" height="0" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWczkLK-sshIfHE_XPM2swzJagETfm2EEth_j4vwEy_jeWp5NzdMG5yzqh4JFO968_taSkO_hgTTiu6119dSFUD6hRDhT8vDkPgu24KMfvCL855vQ1nG5wWLoxL2PWSKIbYo4RDQBCaBc/s200/W2Ignite+002.JPG" width="0" /></span></a><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Pretty spooky, huh? I guess they had cemeteries on their brains because I said I was stuck on trying to create a simile for one of my scenes in </span><a href="http://carolbaldwinblog.blogspot.com/p/half-truths.html"><i><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Half-Truths</span></i></a><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">.</span></div></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWPVHEusKxCEysPyqZsZv-sEOxmSjbYO9S8rxbRvy9gsp9NAgcP63XcWndttDgvauuaqjs2M3WJCfVXBoLqUGTkjcYw5uqedSb5k2N5EzdDRGdWaTPsIjm5lA7edkCr5acPTUqIvHGcF8/s1600/IMGP5291.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWPVHEusKxCEysPyqZsZv-sEOxmSjbYO9S8rxbRvy9gsp9NAgcP63XcWndttDgvauuaqjs2M3WJCfVXBoLqUGTkjcYw5uqedSb5k2N5EzdDRGdWaTPsIjm5lA7edkCr5acPTUqIvHGcF8/s1600/IMGP5291.JPG" /></a><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">The setting is a graveyard that is being bulldozed to make room for houses. To a student they all said "eeew!" and then proceeded to give me ideas on what they thought that toppled gravestones would look like.</span></div></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">One student thought they might look like fallen dominoes, but nixed that idea because it wouldn't create the right mood. (right on!)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Another said the graves would look like faces looking out on the cemetery</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2GLqxaeqxGqIQegXHaimSHDWy_XU9qPRidvvtS4cNvoKXarEOAXlxna4pS549DF65i-liTfus_h4pSXRg7pbwR7G-RazPAoDu98LzODG1ztmf-M1MfCd7FcljaaCc82jFdTphdTYydQc/s1600/IMGP5294.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><img border="0" height="0" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2GLqxaeqxGqIQegXHaimSHDWy_XU9qPRidvvtS4cNvoKXarEOAXlxna4pS549DF65i-liTfus_h4pSXRg7pbwR7G-RazPAoDu98LzODG1ztmf-M1MfCd7FcljaaCc82jFdTphdTYydQc/s200/IMGP5294.JPG" width="0" /></span></a><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">As we talked about the effort that goes into a writer finding just the right simile to convey an image, they got the point. Writing takes time, work, and revision. </span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Interspersed between learning how to create original characters, settings, and plots, the teens also did a variety of dramatic activites. When we discussed character they mingled like old people, kindergartners, and their parents; when we talked about settings they pretended to walk through a swamp, a busy street, and on a mountain.</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">They collaborated</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZs1EbV1wuALy30LTC5Z4ozm86L8bm8ZqC7OE4f_LsLeF5SQIY3aKU_E5Yhcx9JAKNBKJkgis4uwJnuAJmeiD303mBLFh34mgTrRZgUkuh3-A7dAWLWT2_Nw2l9W_mBjU7P3r0tQUtmIQ/s1600/IMGP5280.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><img border="0" height="0" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZs1EbV1wuALy30LTC5Z4ozm86L8bm8ZqC7OE4f_LsLeF5SQIY3aKU_E5Yhcx9JAKNBKJkgis4uwJnuAJmeiD303mBLFh34mgTrRZgUkuh3-A7dAWLWT2_Nw2l9W_mBjU7P3r0tQUtmIQ/s200/IMGP5280.JPG" width="0" /></span></a>.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWczkLK-sshIfHE_XPM2swzJagETfm2EEth_j4vwEy_jeWp5NzdMG5yzqh4JFO968_taSkO_hgTTiu6119dSFUD6hRDhT8vDkPgu24KMfvCL855vQ1nG5wWLoxL2PWSKIbYo4RDQBCaBc/s1600/W2Ignite+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><img border="0" height="0" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWczkLK-sshIfHE_XPM2swzJagETfm2EEth_j4vwEy_jeWp5NzdMG5yzqh4JFO968_taSkO_hgTTiu6119dSFUD6hRDhT8vDkPgu24KMfvCL855vQ1nG5wWLoxL2PWSKIbYo4RDQBCaBc/s200/W2Ignite+002.JPG" width="0" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJWjf58ZGGdPzJoL0BGlZ_Nin7Unq-CnR0jM6OcdkjRs1GORufTKhZ0Np5rTfm0gpvatSh9MapmBXW10gegkFvl4w86qya6SR1-7ir5vbqHAKEJzbXp78bfIKSqFn3VEHEMWSyKDpRu10/s1600/W2Ignite+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJWjf58ZGGdPzJoL0BGlZ_Nin7Unq-CnR0jM6OcdkjRs1GORufTKhZ0Np5rTfm0gpvatSh9MapmBXW10gegkFvl4w86qya6SR1-7ir5vbqHAKEJzbXp78bfIKSqFn3VEHEMWSyKDpRu10/s1600/W2Ignite+002.JPG" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: black;"><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMBlxQ2RDD0lFTWrJdwWAlk76Et1IO-kNCMj8wRMYGnHYcb3xqq2bbGlb7e4lFDUvTNJcTUdtn5zvcaDi73Xq8eYARj5sx2bswsay_eG3Is_xyNBL0bazhnrpCugnToWSdNClTJ8GE410/s1600/IMGP5291.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="0" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMBlxQ2RDD0lFTWrJdwWAlk76Et1IO-kNCMj8wRMYGnHYcb3xqq2bbGlb7e4lFDUvTNJcTUdtn5zvcaDi73Xq8eYARj5sx2bswsay_eG3Is_xyNBL0bazhnrpCugnToWSdNClTJ8GE410/s200/IMGP5291.JPG" width="0" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Opined,</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">and wrote.</span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMYC7-jdNzWWUhT0s0w6wNm2fVlEWWrK3PSUsV3VJCrF2LB7zbYigoY5EXV0KMYk0jfpUb7Zw6rTWNpCXc5iraH_dhPVNajuDpYuB-ETZbw7D_D7W-HpjocRsCVvL57vEU0ejoIhv59IQ/s1600/W2Ignite+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMYC7-jdNzWWUhT0s0w6wNm2fVlEWWrK3PSUsV3VJCrF2LB7zbYigoY5EXV0KMYk0jfpUb7Zw6rTWNpCXc5iraH_dhPVNajuDpYuB-ETZbw7D_D7W-HpjocRsCVvL57vEU0ejoIhv59IQ/s1600/W2Ignite+004.JPG" /></a></div></div></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: black;"><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBYO1ExcBUDJmjZS_hh5b9x_gLHeHFrLpAQey0NOIHeOwlIdtyl86_oOHOgcNwCruIgHMtG5IAujZcye67x1Psu6Nnjuee5VoJHRBiD5DTzkc6I3W5_WHWR7-LkxBIcdSYP1N4UlvFE2A/s1600/IMGP5701.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="0" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBYO1ExcBUDJmjZS_hh5b9x_gLHeHFrLpAQey0NOIHeOwlIdtyl86_oOHOgcNwCruIgHMtG5IAujZcye67x1Psu6Nnjuee5VoJHRBiD5DTzkc6I3W5_WHWR7-LkxBIcdSYP1N4UlvFE2A/s200/IMGP5701.JPG" width="0" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">By the end of the day, we left as friends and co-writers who had a day of fun together.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhELQ9CS5eedyOfF8_wXDozvWkJw58xbaCfjQgNL_TzxHSURdfyc6o0nwSS2RdJKlrpMsgSW0VHoa3p34oDCDvF-lOzKaBzLWblaCPhSSuSEfMKI-g0F2QhpG3mV2_2qgxHZb9zjRyIx1E/s1600/IMGP5701.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="0" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhELQ9CS5eedyOfF8_wXDozvWkJw58xbaCfjQgNL_TzxHSURdfyc6o0nwSS2RdJKlrpMsgSW0VHoa3p34oDCDvF-lOzKaBzLWblaCPhSSuSEfMKI-g0F2QhpG3mV2_2qgxHZb9zjRyIx1E/s1600/IMGP5701.JPG" width="0" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfhVo5I2rAXK_WlRFI94hmgOQ509ULlDWKiXgTVvOwbmb-aM54VzSpFZLC-tFJ6deid893JRPEd3EAJlXnBktliDL_emKqPqabkAtjHJEuhxtkyXTCOcoVnUZrzz1toKxH4po-odK-8IQ/s1600/IMGP5701.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="0" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfhVo5I2rAXK_WlRFI94hmgOQ509ULlDWKiXgTVvOwbmb-aM54VzSpFZLC-tFJ6deid893JRPEd3EAJlXnBktliDL_emKqPqabkAtjHJEuhxtkyXTCOcoVnUZrzz1toKxH4po-odK-8IQ/s320/IMGP5701.JPG" width="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_eCO9_ydvQU7Z6VEVlMwveUo8u6zSN7TVcOivtj4MwjS_A0u211dRiakod9fovCmkSl0myNIWSTtdXs_stfkhTgIxbepUg8C6qE1ikK12-3PX5wu2DIsXTtKSAr-TU_MQ6hpVEZnBByo/s1600/IMGP5701.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="0" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_eCO9_ydvQU7Z6VEVlMwveUo8u6zSN7TVcOivtj4MwjS_A0u211dRiakod9fovCmkSl0myNIWSTtdXs_stfkhTgIxbepUg8C6qE1ikK12-3PX5wu2DIsXTtKSAr-TU_MQ6hpVEZnBByo/s320/IMGP5701.JPG" width="0" /></a></div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">That weekend I realized something profound. I am writing a book for teen readers but I don't have many teen followers on my <a href="http://blog./">blog.</a><a href="http://carolbaldwinblog.blogspot.com/">http://carolbaldwinblog.blogspot.com/</a> To rectify that situation, I am going to start giveaways that are geared directly to my intended audience. If you are between the ages of 12-16, start following my blog. Please send me an email at </span><a href="mailto:cbaldwin6@carolina.rr.com"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">cbaldwin6@carolina.rr.com</span></a><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">to let me know you read this post on Write2Ignite! Then, check my blog for giveaways.</span></span></span></div></div></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Thanks!</span></div></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: 'Freestyle Script'; font-size: x-large; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><a href="http://carolbaldwinblog.blogspot.com/">Carol</a></span></div></div></div>Write2ignitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266315375662322726noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-685889110820584085.post-79116999510576009232011-03-24T13:21:00.001-04:002011-03-24T13:22:29.678-04:00<em><span style="font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"></span></em><br />
<div class="yiv240536724msonormal" style="margin: auto 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: white;"><em><span style="font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Deanna Klingel’s book</span>,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Avery's Battlefield,</em> was released March 18, 2011, by Journey Forth Publishing (BJU Press). This is the first of a young reader historical fiction series set in Virginia during the American Civil War. The second book, <em>Avery's Crossroad</em>, is due out in September. Visit Deanna at </span></span><a href="http://www.booksbydeanna.com/"><span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">www.BooksByDeanna.com</span></a><span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. </span></div><div class="yiv240536724msonormal" style="margin: auto 0in;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since Deanna attended Write2Ignite! Conferences in both 2010 and 2011, Jean asked her if Write2Ignite! had anything to do with this success. </span></div><div class="yiv240536724msonormal" style="margin: auto 0in;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>Here’s Deanna’s answer...</em></span></div><div class="yiv240536724msonormal" style="margin: auto 0in;"></div><blockquote style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="yiv240536724msonormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: auto 0in;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrDO6nilBmFSZYuwIUD6xYC0sNvMejGrFpkOygcmW_QkPcYEl_9RKIkTZUOI8oJQqn96mdRTr_dPZXQTum31pAX3QUC2h9VFW4cg2fPIcCLIzUgTbi451XTs5vOJjKSSWwNVmk6cf-j40/s1600/deannaklingel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrDO6nilBmFSZYuwIUD6xYC0sNvMejGrFpkOygcmW_QkPcYEl_9RKIkTZUOI8oJQqn96mdRTr_dPZXQTum31pAX3QUC2h9VFW4cg2fPIcCLIzUgTbi451XTs5vOJjKSSWwNVmk6cf-j40/s1600/deannaklingel.jpg" /></a>It had EVERYTHING to do with it. And God's eye was on this sparrow. I had reached a point that I was saying to God, "If this isn't what you want me to do, it's okay. I can do something else. But, you need to let me know." I had some frustrating things going on with the secular market that I couldn't adjust to.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">After a heart-to-heart prayer one morning, I was dashing out to my lit class at Brevard College. I quickly checked email and saw this peculiar drawing on the screen. It looked like children all connected in gym shoes in bright colors making a number 2. What in the world was this? I didn't have time to study it so I hit <em>print </em>and took off. The next day, there it was on my printer.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">“Oh, yeah, I forgot about that thing. What is it anyway?” I read it. “How did I get this? Who sent this to me? Christian Writers? Well, I'm a writer who is Christian, but a group of Christian writers? Really? Who knew? And they are inviting me to go where? Greenville. Hmm. Just down the mountain. Only $90? That's nothing compared to other conferences I'd been to. Maybe.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I put it aside and internally fussed and argued for days, while I continued to pray. Then one day I just found that paper, sent in my money and passed GO!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I was nervous about it. What do Christian Writers write? Will I be out of place? And I still don't know how or why the invitation was sent to me; perhaps it was a mistake. I shyly went.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">First it was Vonda Skelton. Her keynote made me feel that I <em>did</em> belong there.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Then the workshop with Nancy Lohr. I was stunned. She spoke directly to my heart answering all the questions I had asked God just days before.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I discovered her alone in a class room while I was changing classes and I poked my head in to tell her how much her words had meant to me and to thank her. She invited me in and asked me to tell her what my experience had been that made me so reactive to her words. I told her the history of Avery and Gunner. She asked if she might have a look at the manuscript. She gave me an address to send it. I believed she was generously offering to critique it for me. I had no idea she was an acquisition editor, and I'd never heard of Journey Forth.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">So, yes, Write2Ignite! had everything to do with getting my questioning prayers answered, and in a bigger way than I had imagined. Isn't that just like HIM? He always exceeds. Nancy and her staff loved Avery and Gunner and felt they had a future with them. And I love working with them. </div></blockquote>Write2ignitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266315375662322726noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-685889110820584085.post-48233287769418035112011-03-18T15:14:00.002-04:002011-03-18T15:25:36.239-04:00Help Wanted<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>At Write2Ignite! we're looking for some <em>very</em> <em>special</em> helpers.</strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjNMdW4gyhkXE-GjslvQP2gMvbr-276wlfE1ncq5gx6KWPfBHslHtRWaFRo4rPFIJ7-zhhq10MgONRmbpYNMOkXK0j2G-0321Enzh3O97FjMHzSaLN23QzoDuc8pk-boQ2Y3Gdy08rqkg/s1600/cat+keyboard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjNMdW4gyhkXE-GjslvQP2gMvbr-276wlfE1ncq5gx6KWPfBHslHtRWaFRo4rPFIJ7-zhhq10MgONRmbpYNMOkXK0j2G-0321Enzh3O97FjMHzSaLN23QzoDuc8pk-boQ2Y3Gdy08rqkg/s320/cat+keyboard.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Write2Ignite! Team are very special people--writers who want our words to glorify the Lord, AND want to invest in the lives of other writers.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But we really need some help.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We are praying for the Lord to send us three more volunteer Team members. We are looking for some special people who meet these criteria:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> They should be born-again Christians</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">They should be actively involved in writing and pursuing some form of publication</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">They should believe God is calling them into involvement with Write2Ignite!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">They should be computer and Internet savvy </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">They should be skilled at managing blogs on Blogger, OR</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> Be skilled at creating a quarterly E-Newsletter for Write2Ignite!, OR</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> Be skilled at creating and managing our Write2Ignite! website hosted by GoDaddy</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">These are volunteer positions.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFHrUTJN-c-mnKQQbo499oBz03LrmjUB9TdZwM2KcCd01fN0Dl9WKXbojsTWsO6nNQpXZLHYW4UbJhrAemsbIdUnA2_qJwLmwdqyzVIuNBeXULAzMKlJwI68UIfk152weHR3Ull_fRbY/s1600/hand+keyboard+blur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFHrUTJN-c-mnKQQbo499oBz03LrmjUB9TdZwM2KcCd01fN0Dl9WKXbojsTWsO6nNQpXZLHYW4UbJhrAemsbIdUnA2_qJwLmwdqyzVIuNBeXULAzMKlJwI68UIfk152weHR3Ull_fRbY/s320/hand+keyboard+blur.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Blog Manager position will require 2 to 4 hours weekly to create or solicit and gather, then post at least 2 blog posts per week. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The E-Newsletter Editor position will require 5 - 10 hours quarterly to create the E-Newsletter and additional time up-front to create and manage the list of recipients.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Website Manager position will require varying hours each week depending on the time of year and the proximity to our yearly Conference and other events.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Please join us in praying for God to send folks our way to assume these responsibilities on the Write2Ignite! Team as we seek to encourage Christian writers of children's (and youth's) literature.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you have questions, or, if you sense the Lord leading you to help us with any or all of these needs please contact Jean at </span><a href="mailto:write2ignite@jeanmatthewhall.com"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">write2ignite@jeanmatthewhall.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">. AND please pass this info along to others who might be interested. Just send them our <a href="http://write2igniteblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/help-wanted.html">link</a>.</span></div>Write2ignitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266315375662322726noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-685889110820584085.post-1959745197294700142011-03-11T00:05:00.005-05:002011-03-11T00:19:26.810-05:00THRIFT AND GIFT<i>by Linda Andersen</i><br />
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Welcome to this week's Thrift and Gift! Here at Write2Ignite, we aim to share information that leads to better stewardship of time, money, and creativity. So, every Thursday we’ll highlight a free or inexpensive writing resource. Feel free to share our link with your friends! <br />
<br />
This Week’s Feature: From the Mixed-Up Files<br />
of Middle-Grade Authors <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://fromthemixedupfiles.com/"><img border="0" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaH5ddbX1bsXl0_BAn_mNq8_jzGMwDvQIMUYIdzN0T-Zy8PjfTiK2jKlvRxxrBaaif4_6qwvk8IdX7Oi5ntOTAsUfv4aHfYqtriLoZsdMHIh9RHsk4uT7reW_EO3IDA6Z4UYb2I5YIXKo/s1600/mixedupfiles.jpg" /></a></div><br />
http://www.fromthemixedupfiles.com/<br />
<br />
Nearly 30 middle-grade authors came together in Spring 2010 to form this site. Here is their Mission Statement:<br />
<blockquote>“From the Mixed-Up Files is the group blog of middle-grade authors celebrating books for middle-grade readers. For anyone with a passion for children’s literature—teachers, librarians, parents, kids, writers, industry professionals— we offer regularly updated booklists organized by unique categories, author interviews, market news, and a behind-the-scenes look at the making of children’s books from writing to publishing to promoting.”</blockquote><br />
If you’re like me, you probably feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day for all you want to read and write. If you would like an overview of what’s going on in middle-grade literature, add this site to your favorites or subscribe to the blog. It will save you hours of researching; yet, this blog keeps you informed. <br />
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Recent Topics at Oh MG! News (Middle Grade Events in the News):<br />
• Farewell to Redwall (series by Brian Jacques)—Feb.14<br />
• Natalie Babbitt, author of Tuck Everlasting(1975), answered questions from 4th Graders—Feb. 3<br />
• “Al’s Book Club” on the Today Show—Jan. 31<br />
• Survey at Publishers Weekly—Parents Hold the Power…and the Purse—Jan. 23<br />
• Interview with Newbery winner (Clare Vanderpool)and other contest winners—Jan. 13<br />
• Aloud and Proud (March 9—World Read Aloud Day)—Feb. 10<br />
Take a look at recent blog posts:<br />
• Middle-grade Book Club Guide—Feb. 25—Helene Boudreau<br />
• Sequels: Their Pleasures and Perils—Feb. 23—Tricia Springstubb<br />
• When Mean Girls …Grow Up?—Feb. 21--Jan Gangsei<br />
• Interview with Ruth McNally Barshaw and Two Giveaways—Feb. 18—Mindy Alyse Weiss<br />
• Favorite Titles for Black History Month—Feb. 17—Wendy S.<br />
• From Editor to Agent: A Chat with Alyssa Eisner Henkin –Feb. 16—Bobbie Pyron<br />
• A List of Love—Feb. 14—by Elissa Cruz<br />
• Eleven (Books for) Birthdays—Feb. 11—by Kurtis Scaletta<br />
• Overcoming Obstacles—Feb. 9—by Joanne Prushing Johnson<br />
• The Magic of Middle Grade Writing Partnerships—Feb. 7—by Sayantani<br />
• A Peek into the Life of Kirby Larson (Author)—Feb. 4—by Diana Greenwood<br />
• February New Releases—Feb. 2—by Sheelachari<br />
• A Fantastical Middle-Grade Monday! (and a contest)—Jan.31—Shannon Messenger<br />
• Authors Visiting Schools: thinking outside the box—Jan. 28—by Rosanne Parry<br />
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Giveaways:<br />
• Previous Contests: Summer Giveaways 2010. (4-9 signed middle-grade books every two weeks). After that, giveaways were offered every two months or so. Additionally, an author “From the Mixed-Up Files” often donates a copy of his/her new book to launch its arrival. <br />
• Recent Contests: Ellie McDoodle Winners! And Love Our Readers Giveaway <br />
• A Terrific Service Project: A Great Library Giveaway provided 70 middle-grade books to a worthy library drawn at random from 375 entries.<br />
• Upcoming Contests: A Spring Giveaway is being planned. Shortly after that, an Anniversary Giveaway will celebrate the group’s one-year anniversary on June 9, 2011. No details are being shared at this time. Don’t miss out on any of these giveaways and celebrations.<br />
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Thank you middle-grade authors for all you offer others. Readers, be sure to check out the personal blogs of authors From the Mixed-Up Files. <br />
<br />
Thank you, readers, for visiting the Write2Ignite Blog! If you subscribe to our blog, you will receive regular updates via email. (See the upper right hand corner of the blog for more information). If you have a question or you’d like to leave a comment, we’d love to hear from you!Write2ignitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266315375662322726noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-685889110820584085.post-74905308183585810362011-03-04T22:59:00.003-05:002011-03-04T23:06:25.180-05:00Write2Ignite! Presents Our First Contest…<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The third annual Write2Ignite! conference was held on the beautiful campus of NGU on February 18-19<sup>th</sup>, 2011.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were blessed and challenged by wonderful speakers and presenters. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We made new friends and rekindled old friendships.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had a delightful time!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We were so honored to have Jenni Burke, literary agent with D. C. Jacobson & Associates, with us!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She led several workshops and met one-on-one with many of our attendees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jenni has donated our totally fabulous grand prize!</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1gYPVJEuxqsPnQxF6bHR3ixhlgNzgYKvI692k4Kl-9MifponnwPph3TXtE6ha9dLKvZYInpaY-PB9Xy-brixr45vvo_tDlaqBCTqsYoCWZ-_7ud-MhRiXiDtIBpdYqghCSYpYZZXcHek/s1600/IMGP4873.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1gYPVJEuxqsPnQxF6bHR3ixhlgNzgYKvI692k4Kl-9MifponnwPph3TXtE6ha9dLKvZYInpaY-PB9Xy-brixr45vvo_tDlaqBCTqsYoCWZ-_7ud-MhRiXiDtIBpdYqghCSYpYZZXcHek/s320/IMGP4873.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Drum roll, please…the winner of our contest will receive…</strong></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">A Proposal Critique & Edit</span></span></span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">$350.00 Value!</span></span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Jenni will read any fiction or nonfiction book proposal, including up to 3,000 words of the manuscript, deliver an in-depth written evaluation full of specific recommendations for improvement, and then answer your questions about publishing during a 30-minute <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>consultation call. Then, after you’ve made your improvements, Jenni will follow up with a final light edit of your book proposal.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you were in attendance at Write2Ignite! you are eligible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So polish up your book proposal and manuscript…or get started on one now…and submit!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Get those creative juices flowing and those fingers typing, folks. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Contest Rules:</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You must have attended Write2Ignite! 2011.</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You must send your proposal (and up to 3,000 words) to: </span><a href="mailto:write2ignite@jeanmatthewhall.com"><span style="color: blue;">write2ignite@jeanmatthewhall.com</span></a></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Your entry must be RECEIVED by 11:50pm, March 31, 2011.</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You may only enter once.</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">5)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">All submissions must be sent via EMAIL. NO USPS entries accepted. </span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">6)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">All submissions must be sent as email attachments. Please send as .doc (Microsoft Word) </span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">7)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you do not receive a confirmation email within 72 hours, please resend. </span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">8)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Do NOT use a header or footer with identifying information. We only need your personal information on the first page of your submission. (i.e. First page of proposal)</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">9)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Members of the Write2ignite Conference Team are not eligible for this contest. </span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">10. The winner will be announced by April 30.</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Do NOT call to inquire about the status of the contest. All information about the contest and results will be posted to the blog and website. If you are the winner, you will be contacted via email. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><em>Let the submissions begin! </em></span></span></div><br />
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