Divine Appointments and Holy Introductions

First off, let me preface this by saying that I am not writing this blog post simply because I just went to a class at Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writer's Conference and heard all about how important it is to blog regularly. I'm not. And I'm not lying either. I'm simply sitting in my room, listening to the thunder and wanting to blog about how I'm already putting what I've learned into action.

Last night, we had a keynote on how to make the most of your time and network. Perhaps you came here to meet such-and-such but all their appointment times were filled up before you could get your name down. It happens. We don't like it when it does but it happens. Well, the keynote speaker said that you should be open to wherever God wants to lead you and whomever he wants you to meet or have appointments with.

So, yes, last night I made a mad dash to the appointment sheets to score an appointment with Sue Brower, the editor at Zondervan, and David Van Diest, an agent with D.C. Jacobson. These were my top two and I did manage to get the appointments with them that I wanted. Score one for me! This morning, I made another mad dash after the morning general session to the appointment room to see if I could get some other appointments. I was lucky and managed to get the other two editors I wanted (one from Tyndale and one from Harvest House) and the second literary agent. I've already got an appointment with Chip MacGregor because I paid him for a critique. I was pumped and I was ready.

I'm not very good at pitching. I trip over my words, nod too much and usually just generally make a fool out of myself - at least in my opinion. But this time, I started with Mrs. Brower, whom I had met at dinner last night. And she made me feel right at home. The session went great, I have a bunch more ideas on how to make my book better and I was feelin' good.

Now, I know what you're thinking. When are you going to get to the Divine Appointments and Holy Introductions part? You're in luck; I'm there. At lunch, I didn't know who I was going to sit with (you can sit with the agents and editors and writers at lunch and dinner, which is nice) but I ended up going by myself to sit with Caleb Breakey, a writer who'd had a website for teen writers that I had been on before it closed down. I sat and waited and introduced myself when he sat down and told him that connection. It was really good to put his face and person with the name I knew from the website I had enjoyed so much and I was able to tell him my pitch and he liked it, which gave me a little morale boost. I also mentioned that I had a pitch appointment with David Van Diest, who is Caleb's agent, and he said to tell David that he [Caleb] sent me. So when I had my appointment, I said that and that Caleb had said he liked my pitch (which he did, I didn't embellish or put words in his mouth, I swear) and that seemed to really put me in a new light with David. There was a holy introduction with Caleb (sitting at his table) that gave me a leg-up with my pitch session.

I also had a good pitch session with Diana Flegal from Hartline Literary and received very positive feedback. I have a good bit of work to do on the novel now but things are definitely looking promising. It's been a great first day and, with 2 pitch appointments tomorrow and a critique Wednesday, it's not over yet. I can't wait to see what God has in store next.

Total Lack of Disrespect

That's what I told my friend I would not miss when I leave North Greenville's campus in May. The total lack of disrespect at concerts and cultural events. What I meant to say was that I would not miss the total lack of RESPECT.

How can you think it makes you cool to whisper with your friends while other people, who have worked hard all semester to learn this music, sing on stage? Does it make you funny to clap once after everyone else has finished clapping? Are you popular for twittering and giggling during a concert?

No. You are just being an imbecile. Yes, cultural events are required for students. Sometimes you don't want to be there. That does not give you the right to be a jerk. Until you're the one on the stage, you don't have the privilege of judging a wrong note or a style different then what you are used to.

The students who perform in these concerts and plays and such have spent untold hours learning their music, lines, etc. They have put all their effort into their work. How do you think it makes them feel when you can't keep your comments and laughter to yourself or your cell phone off?

So please. Straighten up or get out of the auditorium.

Rant over.

Editing Nightmares

Wow. They really shouldn't tell me the last time I posted a post on here. 'Cause that makes me all depressed to see it was last year! Wow. Clearly, blog posting is not my forte. But today, I am here to make a point and I am going to slam it home HARD.

I cannot stand to edit. To go back through a manuscript and change sentences, add words, eliminate entire paragraphs. Do you know why? Well, I will tell you. It makes me feel like a terrible writer. I can't tell you the number of times I scratch my head (metaphorically) and say, "Gee. Why did I ever think that was a good idea? How could I have ever thought it'd be great to make her do that?"

And then there are the times my characters run away from me. I'm writing and editing and writing and editing and then all of a sudden, my main character is leaving work and she NEVER EVEN HAD A JOB!! And this is like chapter fifteen. So now I have to edit from the top again and make it clear she had a job all along and didn't just randomly pick one up one day because she felt like it. The whole time this is happening, I am sitting in my dorm room, staring at my computer, and yelling "Why would you do that? Stop doing that! Get back under my control!" That might be why people wonder if I'm nuts. To which I say - yes. I am nuts. I am a writer. How can I be anything but?

Back to editing. I've just now finished editing my YA chick lit novel, Oh Boyfriend, Where Art Thou? for maybe the third time. By editing, I mean going chapter-by-chapter, with Track Changes on, and skewering entire passages with the wrath of Michelle. It was intense. I just finished and the final (revised) product is about 15 pages longer than the original.

Editing stinks. It's hard work and hassle and can be really, truly irritating. Only now, when I look at this final product (that still needs some work to explain why the main character randomly begins doing things mid-book that she hadn't done before) do I realize that editing really has made my book much, much better.

Now I think I'll go edit a fourth time...oh, joy.

Rolling with the Punches

Rolling with the punches. I must say, this is hard for me. Sometimes, a right hook flies out of nowhere and hits you when you're completely unprepared. Is it possible then to roll with it? Or are you so off-balance that it knocks you off your feet into a One-hit KO? I think that some punches are just too hard to roll with.

Take today, for instance. Two punches, within half an hour, that left me staggering around with bruises and, I'm pretty sure, a nosebleed. Now, I won't go into detail on those punches in case the offending parties (party) ever reads this post. I don't want a retaliation punch, no thank you. But anyway, both of these punches came out of the blue and were completely unexpected. And because they came in such rapid succession, there was hardly any time to breathe in between.

So did I roll with the punches?

No. I didn't. I went back to my dorm room (skipping my next class, I might add, a very bad idea) and cried. Literally. Like tears, sniffles and tissue. I'm not even lying. I pulled out my slice of cookie cake, put in Enchanted and just basically sat and boo-hooed. It was not fun. And it was not productive.

Sometimes, things happen and you can't just move on. You can't just buck up and say everything's going to be okay and move on with life. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not still eating cookie cake and crying - okay I cried a bit while talking to my Mom on the phone and telling her about my day. But I have moved on. I've put it behind me and just vowed to never voice an opinion in class again. :-) It's hard to move on when you think you've been wronged or treated unjustly.

But that's what moving on is for. I'm about to go enjoy Vampire Diaries with some very good friends. I've had a pretty good afternoon, as long as I don't think about the morning. Moving on is a talent (skill) we all need to learn.

After all, if you aren't rolling with the punches, you'll never make it back to your feet. And we all know that if you aren't on your feet, you're going to be swept away.

Things I Wish I'd Known...Homework

You know what that old Chinese proverb is, that really smart one that makes you go "hmmm..." and tap your finger on your chin? Yeah, that one. Well, that's kind of like the reaction you are going to have at the end of this blog post. I am going to make you think, college students. No more Ms Funny, Ms Nice Girl. Nuh-uh. Time to put that brain to work. If mine is being used (and it is - I'm learning about media in the politics) then yours should be used to.

Today's topic is homework. I'm almost at Fall Break and, oh boy, I was gunning for Friday, when I could peace out and slide into my break. And then I made a mistake. The fatal, life-altering mistake that forever skewed my outlook on Fall Break and basically life in general. I looked at my planner.

And fainted.

Almost.

Actually, I think my heart skipped a few beats and maybe failed for a split second. Where did all this homework come from? Yes, people who believe the "H-word" is no longer part of your vocabulary after K-12 school is over. Homework exists in college. You better get used to it.

Professors in college don't always remind you when something is due. Some will. If you've got a paper due on Monday, some of the nicer professors will remind you the Friday before. Some won't. They'll expect you to refer to the syllabus to remember when things are due.

I had this happen to me already this semester. I forgot some articles were due, my professor didn't remind us (perfectly within his rights) and thus, I didn't turn it in. Had I checked my syllabus (or my planner), I'd have known it was due and I'd have turned it in.

So here's some good advice to remember when it comes to homework:

• Don't delude yourself. Homework is just as big (perhaps bigger) a part of your life in college as it was in high school
• Do your homework within the week that it is assigned. This applies mainly to reading assignments, math problems or homework like that, not long-range homework such as papers.
• Never wait until the night before. Something's always gonna come up
• KEEP YOUR SYLLABUSES. These will become your lifeline.
• Take it upon yourself to note when things are due - don't rely on your professors to baby you. They're not your mommy or daddy.

So put on your big-boy pants and get a start on that homework your professor assigned you this morning. Yes, I know you want to eat ice cream and lie on the bed and watch Pretty Little Liars but trust me - get your homework done first.

I know I've gotta get mine done before I can watch Terra Nova tonight...so now to take my own advice!!! Peace out!

Things I Wish I'd Known...Senioritis

I'm a senior now. Put on the bells and get out the party favors! Graduation is in sight! Woot-woot! Of course, I'm a semester behind so I actually have a year and a half to go but I still call myself a senior - 'cause that's what I am. I'm a senior, I'm a senior, I'm a senior and I can so totally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Either it's the end of my college career or it's a train but it sure is coming fast.

That being said, today's blog post is on senioritis. It is an actual disease that you can have. Let me fill you in on the symptoms.

1. You don't want to do any work
2. Your desire to skip class is overwhelming
3. Homework can always wait until later
4. Studying is never something that is in the forefront of your mind.
5. Procrastination becomes second-nature.

I have senioritis. I'm doing papers the night before they're due, putting off research as long as I possibly can and skimping on assignments - doing the bare minimum to get by. This is not good. Case in point: I have 2 midterms next week and a book review due and 4 lesson plans and I haven't gotten any of it done except for the lesson plans.

I'm skipping class and chapel for no good reason other than I'm tired. I think I have had senioritis for a while but I've gotta get a handle on it or I'm gonna be spending all of Fall Break and Thanksgiving Break doing work (which I will probably be doing anyway, come to think of it.)

So here is some practical advice for conquering senioritis. Follow these simple steps and maybe you can avoid the plague.

• Plan out what is due and when - then plan to have everything done at least three days prior to the due date.
• Allow at least thirty minutes each day the week before a major test to study
• Go to class - even though you might be tired, skipping class is a mega-bad idea.
• Book reviews? Read the book at least a week before it's due so that you have time to write the review.
• Keep your eye on the prize - graduation!!

So now I think I'll take my own advice and get back to my work. Take my advice as well, as something I wish I'd known.

Conviction, Direction & Obedience

Obedience. It's a funny word. That word that we, as kids, often wish wasn't in our parents' vocabulary. "Obey your mom - clean your room." How many times have we heard that? Too many to count. But, as we get older, we begin to hear of obedience in a different light. Lately, I've been hearing it quite differently indeed.

These past two weeks, I've been in Salmon Arm, British Columbia. That's right, in Canada. And I instantly fell in love. The scenery is amazing. Rolling hills turning into mountains, beautiful blue Lake Shuswap, beaches...it's gorgeous. And even more gorgeous are the people's hearts. They love, they laugh, they live with an abandon that knows no bounds.

Since I came to Canada last March on a mission trip, I've felt like God was calling me to mission in Canada but I didn't do more than give it a passing thought. Yes, it would be nice to live in Canada and yes I feel a desire to bring knowledge of Jesus to these people but my dream is to be a high school history teacher. That's my major. I want to own a horse farm and get married, write books and teach kids to love the stories of the past. Maybe Canada will have to be only in short-term mission plans. That way, I'll still be following God's will and my dreams as well. God wouldn't really want me to start a camp in Canada, would He?

So I came back this summer, to BC this time, praying a lot that God would show me His will for me clearly through this summer. Last week, we went to convention in Calgary. The first night, the speaker gave a message about dying to your own dreams and following God's plan for your life. Thank you, God, for hitting me over the head. Die to my dreams? Ok. I'll give it some thought.

I'd already fallen in love with Salmon Arm but starting a camp in Canada (which is what I felt - feel - God calling me to do)? Do you know how much that would cost, God? How much I'd have to give up to do it? My dream, that's what. I've wanted to be a teacher for a really long time. So okay, I'll think about this plan of yours, God, but I'm making no promises.

Well, everyone knows what happens when you test God. He proves Himself to be right, haha. Sunday we were back in BC at Mountainview Baptist Church. Pastor Benje Bartley preached an amazing sermon about...yep. You guessed it. Obedience to God. Thanks, Benje. He preached on how we need to obey God, no matter the cost.

My dream is just that - my dream. I had to make a choice. Obey God and follow Him, even if I have no clue how I'm going to do that? Or follow my own dream and hope that God's satisfied with what I decide to give him? So I made the choice. I will follow God's plan. I'm still open to what He's doing and will do with my life but I know that it will involve a Christian camp for kids somewhere near Salmon Arm. Here is home. Here is where I will reach Canadians for Christ.