My new source of writing inspiration: Rebecca Skloot

I am still writing, but it is all going into my professor's hands for now, being half way to earning a Masters Degree in Education is all consuming right now.   I researched some helpful tips about writing and getting published.  Rebecca Skoot has an amazing website and so much helpful information for upcoming novelists like myself and curious readers.  She wrote The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.  It is about an African American woman whose cells became the backbone for immeasurable research in the medical field but this was all done without her or her family's knowledge or permission,  I am not done with the book as of now,  but you know I will have a lot to say after I finish reading it.  I have read enough to know that this true story that took ten years to research, it is a must read for all.  Don't worry, you do not have to understand science to understand the book.  It is written in a beautiful way that explains the concepts without making your head spin. 

I strongly urge you to read her book and check out her website.  She tells the reader how she researched the amazing book.  She has so many links to explore her creative process and the story behind the story so to speak.  So, enjoy her wealth of knowledge and if you are as obsessed as I am, you can bookmark her website on all of your internet devices as I did ;)  http://rebeccaskloot.com/faq/#questions-writing

Author Interrupted

It has been a long time since I've posted anything online due to the demands of grad school. There is a great deal of writing and reading required.  I love every minute of it but have put my own personal writing projects on hold until now. My summer classes do not start for two months so I will accomplish something before school starts! Really...I will...

I would love to hear from other published writers and hear about your path to publication.

The Community College Experience is in Danger!

Today was rather productive.  I sent an article to the Boston Globe Newspaper regarding my opinion about the recent news about the community college experience mutating to something different but clearly not better. Here is a copy of the letter.  Hopefully, the staff at the globe will publish this article. 

 

Don’t Change the Community College Experience; It’s Not Broken

I find the idea of the Community College experience mutating to focus solely on preparing students for the work place with little or no focus on transferring to a four year college highly disconcerting. Many students who attend college for the first time are unsure of their path. They may not think that they can succeed. Somewhere along the way, they realize that they can set their sights on a higher degree and suddenly transfer to a 4 year institution. Initially I enrolled in a 2 year program with my only goal being graduation; transferring to another college seemed out of reach and scary.   That all changed during my journey, as it does for many folks, as confidence grew through success. 

Upon returning to school to attempt to earn an Associate’s Degree from Berkshire Community College (BCC) in 2001 and being out of the academic pipeline for a decade, my confidence was low.  When the college admissions advisor asked me about my future goals, I did not envision myself attending a four year school and continuing my education past a 2 year degree offered here at BCC. Being a Non-Traditional Student, like nearly half of my classmates, and a first generation college student, my ideas about my ability to succeed in college were almost nonexistent in spite of the fact that I was a member of the National Honor Society in high school and always loved school.   Higher education was a mystery to me since none of my role models attended college. 

My godmother was the person I admired the most aside from my parents and older sister. She didn’t attend college and successfully supported herself. She worked at a local mill with my grandparents. I was brought up not to discuss money with my elders. It was considered rude to discuss salaries. Even now when I hear someone asking about their finances; I silently cringe. I assumed that full time work would offer very comfortable life regardless of education. Boy was I mistaken! 

My mother became a legal secretary after attending Berkshire Business School for a few months in the 1950’s.  She quit school when she was offered a job but did not work after I was 10 years old due to health issues.  After high school graduation I met with her former boss, he immediately asked if I had a college degree, which I did not at the time as a result of my limited education. There was no a job offer for me, so I worked for minimum wage for years until I decided to attend college.  

My Godmother and Mother didn’t need a formal education to succeed in the workplace, but this is not the case now in 2012 due to lack of gainful employment options and workplace competition.  In addition to succeeding in the workplace, there are other values to the college experience, such as realizing dreams, feelings of accomplishment, and self-fulfillment.  

After completing an Associate’s Degree at BCC, I decided to try my luck at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA). I am glad I did because I just graduated in December of 2011 with a Bachelor’s in Psychology. It is certain that I would NEVER have had the self-confidence to start my college journey at a four year college, but the wonderful support I received at BCC made me able to transition to a four year college and succeed. I am researching Masters Programs and anticipate attending graduate school in the future. None of this would have been possible if I did not slowly gain confidence to succeed in my studies. I am supportive of the community college experience and it would be disconcerting if upcoming students aren’t afforded the same experience. Granted it is not necessary for every student, but it was essential for me and so many folks who I came in contact with on a regular basis. Currently the community college system is set up to accommodate many scenarios and if it is changed to a more narrow vision, that would be a great disservice to the future students.

For the past 6 years I have worked for a Student Support Service Program at BCC which encourages students to transfer or seek a four year degree after graduation. There are many students who succeed here at the community college level and go on to pursue four year degrees. These folks initially express feelings of self-doubt in the beginning of their college career, but then excel beyond their wildest dreams. Needless to say I’m proud of them and their accomplishments. Many of our graduates say that even though they had a good college experience after BCC, their experiences were not the same as the nurturing and encouragement they received here as students at Berkshire Community College. Many of these students not only need the service we provide but also the encouragement to realize their dreams and strive to accomplish more than they thought possible. The community college experience is significant to many people and it helps build confidence to achievement. It would be a shame for it to evolve into anything else!

By Sheriann Stanton

I got my answer...

Slightly Disappointed:
It was ironic that my response from Highlights arrived one day after my last post.  I pondered when I might have sent the submission and speculated that it was just about time to hear from the magazine.  The very next day, the "no thank you" letter arrived in the mail..  I am hopeful that another company might be interested in the story.  After reading it now I can see that it might be a bit too long for the magazine to utilize.   Now I will write another story to submit to Highlights Magazine and find a home for the story I originally submitted to Highlights.  There was a checklist included in the SASE and the only spot that was checked was the "does not fit our needs right now" spot.  There were many other criteria that were not checked that make me feel hopeful that the story was good but just not right for the mag. 

Keep Acurate Records of Your Submissions

I submitted an article to Highlights magazine.  I wish I had documented when I mailed the story and self addressed stamped envelope because I do not recall how long it was been since I sent the mailing.  My advice to all of you is to keep a database or handwritten list of of all of your correspondence with companies you submit material to.  I think that it might have only been a little over a month since I sent the story but it may have been longer.  After a couple of months I can assume that there is no interest on their part and move on.  Since Highlights only accepts unpublished submissions and buys all rights, I wrote exclusively for them, but if they are not interested, I will re-submit my story to another source.  Keeping records is important because you can use the work sooner if you do not have interest from a particular agency if you know the timeframe in which you sent it originally.  Best of luck to all of my followers who are trying to get published in this amazing world of literature!  Love to all xx

Debate; Literary Agent vs. Self Publishing

I am researching Literary Agents and as per my last post, will wait a few weeks to contact.  Online Self-Publishing also holds a certain charm in my opinion.  You will be able to make all money that the book sale produces minus fees charged by websites.  I have stayed away from Self-Publishing in the past because it costs so much to produce physical books, but the idea of having my digital book available for download is pretty tempting.  There are so many sites to choose from that my head is spinning!  My lack of experience as a writer is certainly a disadvantage in the publishing world, many publishers will not consider you unless you know someone who knows someone, etc.  I feel that it is a hard business to enter into, but that WILL not stop me :)  It is too important to me to get my books completed and "out there".  Now I just have to decide exactly where "out there" truly is...

To Query or Not to Query During the Holidays

I was pondering this thought and decided to Google it.  This professional Author/Literary agent confirms my opinion http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2008/12/is-there-best-time-to-query.html

So, the 500 envelopes I purchased will have to wait to see the light of day until after Christmas :) 

I will research and prepare my documents to mail right now.  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all! xx

Please Join me on my Journey to Being a Published Author

I am currently writing a biographical book depicting my struggle with Endometriosis and Poly-Cystic Ovarian Syndrome.  I am also writing some children's stories too.

To date I have sent out twelve Query Letters (via email) to prospective Literary Agents with about four no thanks yous. I will be sending more letters snail mail this week  IT IS IMPORTANT TO READ THE PREFERENCES AS TO CONTACT METHOD FOR LITERARY AGENTS! Some agents only accept queries via snail mail, others only via website or email.  Then you have to read the directions carefully to determine if you need to copy and paste your letter in an email or send as an attachment.  The former is more common.  Many agents will not respond unless they are interested.  The four responses I received were within a day of the contact.
I am not sure I need an agent, but there are some publishing houses that will not accept your work unless you have an agent.  Other houses do not make that distinction.  I truly hope that I find an agent willing to represent me regardless.  That is a personal choice that each author will decide eventually and for some reason it just feels right to me. 

I suggest using the Writer's Market: 2011 to obtain contact information for Agents, publishers, magazine editors, etc.  There are over 1,000 pages in this book. Although I have spent a great deal of time reading parts of it,  I have barely scratched the surface!   Another book I am using is The Writer's Digest Guide to Query Letters by Wendy Burt-Thomas.  It a great source of advice and sample letters with the insight of professionals.  Honestly, i had not idea what to include in a query letter prior to reading the book. Now I have what I feel would be considered a professional well formed and well written letter.

It surprised me that you need a different letter for non-fiction  as opposed to fiction. Needless to say, I have a lot to learn.  So, I decided to offer my followers a ring side seat to my hopeful rise to publication in hopes that my trial and error might help others join the world of published authors too.