Blue Mountain Arts Contest & Calls for Submissions!

How would you like to see your brilliant, creative writing on a Blue Mountain Arts greeting card?! (Hopefully everyone is very familiar with these delightful cards!)


I just heard they are still in need of Christmas card submissions. The deadline is coming up soon: JULY 15th, but that still gives you time to submit your best work. Wouldn't it be incredible to be one of their writers?

  

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Blue Mountain Arts is also having its Twentieth Biannual Poetry Card Contest. Be sure to read the contest guidelines before you submit. I'd also recommend reading some of the previous winners to get an idea of what they're looking for. Another fast approaching deadline: JUNE 30th. 

                   NO ENTRY FEE. ENTER AS OFTEN AS YOU LIKE.

Prize money: 1st Place - $300      2nd Place - $150       3rd Place - $50

"Everybody walks past a thousand story ideas every day. The good writers are the ones who see five or six of them. Most people don't see any." - Orson Scott Card

* Bump Thud Bang Ding! *

I've decided I am now disciplined enough to keep writing and blog a little. I've really missed my blog friends and I'm happy to be back. I'll also try to read some blogs, and leave a comment when time allows. And if others don't have time to stop here, or leave comments, I certainly understand.

Blogs should be a joy, not an obligation!

From Pigtails to Chin Hairs: A Memoir & More is coming along really well. I am so thrilled and relieved that something finally clicked within this old brain of mine, and the writing began to flow. No, it's not easy every day, but it's fun and challenging and I'm a happy writer. I couldn't ask for anything more.


Now...the reason for my blog title. I've mentioned a few times what a klutz I am. Weird things happen to me...often. I began a chapter on my klutziness quite some time ago, and something happened last night that will definitely make it into the book. I can't give any other details yet, though.....except to say it really hurt...and.... Bump Thud Bang Ding!

And the reason for these two pictures??

Because I think they're hilarious!

That's me on the left, acting goofy like my usual, dignified self. I'm playing a video game with my then teenage son, Mark, at Chucky Cheese. This was at one of my grandsons' birthday parties quite a few years ago. Man, how I wish I was that young and thin now! 

I took the picture on the right, straight from our TV screen. This is a young guy doing a local pizza place commercial. I paused it, then snapped the photo. And why? Because he looks so goofy! He looks like he could be related to me, doesn't he?? But I guarantee he isn't! He was saying here, "Mom! More pizza!" ☺

Ron and I have always loved to make each other laugh. He has more of a dry wit, and I tend to act silly. I love “breaking into song”, usually when he least expects it, and doing crazy dances around the house. Just the other evening, after another one of our goofy dialogues, Ron turned to me and said, “Do you think Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie act like this?”  We both responded with the exact same words: “I doubt it!” -- Becky Povich (from Chicken Soup for the Soul; Love Stories 2007 My entry: Through the Years)

Writerly Tidbits

I know..... I'm supposed to be on a Big Blog Break....which I'm really doing, but I wanted to share a couple of Writerly Tidbits.


Remember three weeks ago when I wrote about my dog story "Rocky Loses by a TKO," not making it into a Chicken Soup for the Soul book? Well, I submitted it to Not Your Mother’s Book…On Dogs by Publishing Syndicate. On Tuesday afternoon I received an e-mail and Permission Release Form announcing it "made it through the first consideration round." 

So, since I believe in my story and I enjoy a virtual roller-coaster ride every now and then, I'm very happy I resubmitted it. Time will tell whether it actually makes it into the book or not, but that's okay, too. I've learned to add patience to my list of qualities I'm trying like crazy to learn to be patient, which is so necessary for writers...and people in general!


If the series Not Your Mother's Book.... sounds familiar, it might be because you've read about it on other blogs recently. Dianna Graveman and Linda O'Connell are working with Publishing Syndicate on three of their many upcoming books. Be sure to visit the website and/or the two blogs.

~~~~~

My other Writerly Tidbit is that I won a book on Writer Unboxed! I first heard about this blog/website when I attended the Donald Maass Workshop last month in St. Louis. He is one of many contributors. 

My name was drawn by random in the post by Chuck Sambuchino, titled What Are the Best Writers' Conferences to Attend? I left a comment along with lots of others, and my name/number was drawn!

I had two choices of books: "2012 Guide to Literary Agents," or "Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript, 3rd Ed." I chose the manuscript book and will be happy to share info here on my blog....when I can! 

If you're a writer and/or love to read, please check out all the links I've provided. There's a wealth of information there.

Thanks for stopping by. Now, I'm really not going to post for quite some time. I mean it! 

"A leaf fluttered in through the window this morning, as if supported by the rays of the sun, a bird settled on the fire escape, joy in the task of coffee, joy accompanied me as I walked." -- Anais Nin

* Nostalgic Sunday *

It's Time for Another Nostalgic Sunday!

Although I'm still on my blog break, I miss posting my Nostalgic Sunday memories, and some of you have said you miss reading them, too. 

A little over a month ago, on April 19th, I got together with three of my OLDEST friends! We've all known each other since I entered their school in the 4th grade. (I'm pretty sure they all met in 1st grade.) We were in Girl Scouts together, and went to high school together (STA). That is....until Barb's family moved away around 1969, as did mine around 1970. So, although we didn't actually graduate from the same high school, I've attended almost every STA reunion, because that is where my heart lies. 

Barb and I have stayed in touch really well. We live fairly close to each other and meet for lunch or dinner whenever our schedules allow. Cheri and Chris certainly don't live that far away, but trying to get four busy women together is almost impossible. 

Thanks to Cheri, our official party planner, we all met for dinner and drinks at Blueberry Hill, in University City, Missouri. It's in a very popular dining/shopping/entertainment area known as The Loop. The legendary Chuck Berry still performs there one night a month! (I've been saying for years that I'm going to attend one of his shows....but I forget, and/or they sell out too fast! I know. I know. None of us are getting any younger!)

NOW PHOTO
Four Very Glamorous Gals!

From left to right: Cheri, Barb, me, and Chris. 

(next time, Chris and I need to have much better sunglasses. We just had our clip-ons.)

I love the caption Cheri posted with the photo(s)

"Four St. Philip Chics Loudly Reunite! 19 April 2012 Blueberry Hill - The Loop"


We had a BLAST! We struck up conversations as if we'd gotten together just the week before. We talked, laughed, snorted, giggled, howled, and roared. The young waiters looked at us like we were a bunch of crazy old ladies, but to each other, we still looked and sounded the same way we did all those years ago.
Amazing....the friendships of women.

Okay, that's the NOW PHOTO....wait until you see the THEN PHOTOS.....

THEN PHOTO

Cheri (left) and Chris! June 1967, our Girl Scout troop took a bus trip

to Washington, DC. This was at a road-side park for lunch. They don't look

too happy, do they?! Maybe they'd already seen and/or smelled the food!

THEN PHOTO

OMG! Here's the Piece de Resistance!

Barb (left) and me. No, she was not taller than me. We're standing

on the steps of the US Capitol Building, getting our picture taken 

with Illinois Congressman, Melvin Price and our entire troop. 

(It's pretty obvious why I wasn't with the "In Crowd," don't ya think?!)

We're all looking forward to another "Four St. Philip Chics Loudly Reunite!" It may be months from now, but we surely won't let it be years from now, as in the past.

 * Welcome to my two newest followers, Jennifer and Carrie Lynne. I hope you'll stop by often and always enjoy what you read and see! Thank you! *

"A friend will tell you she saw your old 

boyfriend - and he's a priest." 

-- Erma Bombeck

Encouragement and Approval from the Sky

(I'm still on my Blog Break, but felt the urge to share the following. Please don't feel the need to comment, because I'm still not reading other blogs, and that just wouldn't be fair.)

It doesn't seem possible that it was three months ago when I wrote the following poem. The weather was magically warm and I walked in wondrous thoughts and visions. That's when it began to sink in. The cosmic, overwhelming sense that now was the time to get serious about my writing. Now was the time to continue on with my memoir. Jump over those hurdles standing before me. And burst through anything or anyone (including myself) who got in my way.

Since that profound February day, I see and hear prop planes almost every single day. And the most Cosmic & ♫♪ Twilight Zoney ♫♪ thing about it is.....WHEN I see them. 

• When Vern and I are doing our daily walk. (at various times of day)
• When I just walk out onto our deck, with my pen and tablet in hand.
• When I'm driving, and all of a sudden one is flying over my car. 
• When I walk out to our mailbox. 
• When The Ronald and I are sitting on our deck, just talking and resting. 
• When I'm in a parking lot, walking into or out of a grocery store.

The point is: There is no particular time of day or night!!

It's become such a regular occurrence, it makes me smile and laugh every time. 

After looking up at the plane, and then further up into the sky, I said out loud: " I see it. I see it! I'm getting it! I'm getting it! Thanks! I'm getting it!"  ☺

That's me, during a visit to Parks Airport, 2009.

Now, just what do prop planes have to do with my memoir? The short version is this: I didn't really write until my *estranged father* became seriously ill and wasn't expected to live. My feelings about him poured out of me and were printed in a local newspaper (and later in a Chicken Soup for the Soul book). That's when I decided I was a writer and would write my memoir: From Pigtails to Chin Hairs: A Memoir & More

* (When I was a little girl, dad was a professor at a local aeronautical college. I've loved planes and everything to do with flying ever since. If you check my archives of dad, Parks Colleges, prop planes, etc. you can find out more.) *

So, there you have it. I'm getting help completing my book in what I'd call blissful and spiritual ways! 

Untitled               February 18, 2012


I strolled along the pavement,
the sound of quiet surrounding me
like a quilt. The stillness was deafening
until I heard the engine of a prop plane 
flying overhead. Stopping and shading my eyes,
I squint and watch it putter across
the powder blue sky.
Memories flooded my soul,
immediately tugging my mouth
into a wide grin.

The next day I walk the 
same path. A distant cardinal chirps,
most likely believing it's already spring.
Why shouldn't he?
These past few days have been nothing
but glorious.
Only the calendar page declares
it's just early February.
I turn, looking for his brilliant crimson color
among the vast bare branches
but my eyes cannot find him.

I notice the sky is full of "airplane smoke,"
those cloud-like wispy lines also 
carry memories for the child within me. 
I close my eyes, and for a moment
I'm standing motionless in my front yard again.
I stare up, marveling at the sight above,
taking it all in and thinking as profoundly as
a five-year-old possibly can.

Blinking, I become aware of 
my present surroundings and
begin my journey
back home.
Tomorrow. Maybe tomorrow 
I'll think back and 
reminisce once more.
Sentimental journeys.
Always bittersweet.

©2012 Becky Povich

"My ideas usually come not at my desk writing but in the midst of living." -- Anais Nin

A Rejection: Ouch! But I'm Okay

We interrupt this Blog Break (again!)  ~~~~~~

In December of last year, I received an e-mail stating that one of my stories had made it to the Final Selection Round for a Chicken Soup for the Soul book. I was really excited because I hadn't submitted anything to them in a couple of years. (And why had I not been sending them stories? I guess it was because of my awful writers block, self-sabotage, etc. etc.)

Below is the first paragraph of that December 2011 e-mail:

 Your story “Rocky Loses by a TKO” has made it to the final selection round for Chicken Soup for the Soul: I Can't Believe My Dog Did That! Only a small percent of the submitted stories have made it this far. The vast majority of stories in this “last round” will appear in the book, but we do not make the final decisions until about a month before the publication date.

Happy! Happy! Joy! Joy! I signed that contract and sent it immediately, and obviously being aware I wouldn't know for sure if my story would make it into the book or not, I still had confidence. I thought of so many ways to spend that $200! The other times that I'd made it this far, my story was selected.

Well.....not this time. I received this e-mail today:


I am sorry, I just received the final TOC (Table of Contents) from our editor and unfortunately your story was not selected.

And of course, my initial reaction was WHAT? Huh? How can this be?


But for the first time, my surprise, hurt, and disappointment only lasted mere seconds. And I truly believe it's because I'm doing so well with my memoir! Thank goodness for that, or I may have moped around for too long!  I've had my writing rejected before, several times, but that happens to ALL writers, and I always say it's like that slogan for the state lottery: "You can't win, if you don't play."


So, the reason for this blog post is to advise all writers, artists, photographers, etc. to keep on submitting! Don't let a couple of rejections knock you down. Keep on, keepin' on!

Happy Weekend, Everyone!

"I think that you have to believe in your destiny; that you will succeed, you will meet a lot of rejection and it is not always a straight path, there will be detours – so enjoy the view." – Michael York, actor

Author Interview - Patricia Preston

Hello everyone! Below is my interview with blog friend Patricia Preston, author of The Yard Sale.

Hi Patricia! Tell us a little bit about how you got started writing:

The first thing I recall writing is a short story when I was in the 6^th grade. I remember the title was “Priscilla’s Christmas.” I have no memory of what happened to poor Priscilla on Christmas but I do remember getting a lot of praise from my teacher. That is when my love affair with writing started and it is still going on today. I figure even if the day comes that I can no longer physically write, there still be a story dancing in my head.

What are you writing now and why?

I decided to do something different this year. In 2011, I joined an Indy email list. At the time, there were about 300 Indy authors on the list. Now there are over 700 members. Many of them were hybrids, writers who write for traditional publishers and self-publish, such as Bob Mayer and Brenda Novak. All the members were eager to talk about this big change in publishing and about the business side of this new venture. I learned so much from them.

Also, around the New Year, Ben Wallace started following me on Twitter. Ben is an Indy author who writes comedy. So, I read some of his short stories.  I do admit, once again, to ignorance. I didn’t know writers were publishing short stories on Amazon. Duh! I’m not going into massive detail here, but reading Ben’s stories helped me make a decision that I had been considering. I decided I would revise one of my favorite short stories, “The Yard Sale,” and put it up on Amazon. This was my way of getting my feet wet. I was terrified of trying a book but I knew I could handle a short story.

Ben put in touch with his wife, Patty, who is a cover designer. What can I say? The rest is history.  I put “The Yard Sale” up on Amazon the 3^rd weekend in April and overnight it made the Amazon Top 100 Best Seller list in Comedy and Short Stories.

I hope to have my second story, “Laid to Rest,” published in June. Writing has never been more fun!

What advice would you give writers today?

It is a great time to be a writer. You have more options than ever. Explore. Rule nothing out. Rejectionis a moot point. Don’t be afraid to write from the heart. Submit to a publisher if you want. Or do it yourself. Oh, one word of advice, if you are signing a contract, pay close attention to your e-royalties on net third party sales. Because with each passing day, that is where the money is.

Are you a plotter or pantser?

I’m a little of both. I have to have a general idea and outline.  Then, when I write, that outline will change. But I like to have a direction when I start to write.


In closing, list your five favs:

Fruit:  Pineapple
Season: Autumn
Holiday: Christmas
2012 Summer movie: The Dark Knight Rises
Best new TV series: Hell on Wheels

And where can readers find you online?

My webpage: www.patriciaannpreston.com

Twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/pat_preston

Facebook page at http://on.fb.me/ugF43b

Check out “The Yard Sale” at http://amzn.to/Jmog8Z

It’s a humorous 8500 word short story for 99 cents! 

Thanks, Patricia! It's fun being part of your blog tour and the best of luck with all your writing!

* NOTE: I'm still on my Blog Break and my writing is going well. This interview was scheduled for an automatic post. Thanks to everyone who stops by to read and comment!

* Welcome to my two newest followers, Super Earthling and CF Legette 
I hope you'll stop by often and always enjoy what you read and see! Thank you! *

We Interrupt This Blog Break.....

No, I'm not ready to start blogging again yet, because I'm really rolling along with my writing,(Yay! Finally!) but just wanted to share something that is really BIG....for me.

Some of you may remember my anxiety trying to think of THE RIGHT title for my memoir. Although I wasn't anywhere near being finished, it was extremely important to me to choose one. After I did, I felt I could focus better on writing.

In just the past couple of days, it came to me. I ran it by some writer friends yesterday, and then Lou, my publisher at High Hill Press. Everyone loved it! So......without further ado......my memoir's title is............

From Pigtails to Chin Hairs

A Memoir & More

What do you think? Any thoughts??

"You can't turn back the clock, but you can wind it up again." -- Bonnie Prudden