Inspired By The Essence Of Autumn

by Melissa Kline

My absolute favorite time of year is just around the corner. I am always aware of that slight shift in the atmosphere – the crispness of the morning air, vibrant color pallets emerging from the trees and a sense of slowing down.

 

There is no better time of year to write. This is the perfect moment to reflect on ourselves – what we’ve accomplished, where we currently are and hope to manifest. 

Do you have a story in the works? What would you like to wrap up or begin? Perhaps simply jotting down a “writing” bucket list is in order.

Wherever you are this season, make time to cozy up with a warm cup of comfort and carve out space for you. Take a walk through the falling leaves, enjoy time near a crackling fire or spend time in a pumpkin patch. Fall has so many inspiring elements to offer!

 

Aside from nature’s awesomeness, I’ve found that there are many writing organizations, contests and opportunities to connect with others in the autumn months. Here are just a few:

NANOWRIMO: http://nanowrimo.org/

HALLOWEEN BOOK FESTIVAL: http://www.halloweenbookfestival.com/

HIGHLIGHT’S FOUNDATION WORKSHOPS: http://www.highlightsfoundation.org/upcoming-workshops/

WRITER’S DIGEST CONTESTS:

http://www.writersdigest.com/competitions/writing-competitions

I hope you find some inspiration this season! Happy (almost) Autumn! J

Garage Sale Gems: The People

by Kim Van Sickler

I had my first garage sale the other day.

The prep was just as painful as I thought it would be.

First there was all the cleaning and discarding of boxes and mounds of stuff. Did I really think that any of the kids would claim that massive decade-old microwave I saved for them? Why in the world didn't I throw away that obsolete vacuum cleaner that requires a bag and doesn't even stand up straight anymore? And those boxes of clothes stored in the barn? Looks like they kept the mice and voles warm over the winter. Here's what my tree lawn looked like on garbage day.

I know the garbage men were cursing me.

Then there was all the organizing of my life's cast-offs. Sifting through memories. Pricing them. Storing them until garage sale day when the items would be staged for maximum effect.

My garage pre-sale: chock full of crap that I nevertheless felt was worth something.

All of that sucked. But it was necessary. Purge-time could not be delayed any longer.

What I didn't expect was how much I enjoyed the garage sale itself.

Gorgeous weather helped. My friend Nancy and I parked ourselves behind our cash boxes at our folding table in the driveway and waited.

For the focused man who announced he was looking for antiques and decided in about 53 seconds that it was time to move on. At that rate, we figured he might have been able to make it to all 81 garage sales scheduled in our community that day.

For the man recovering from mouth and throat cancer with a mutilated face who graciously insisted on paying me a couple of dollars for some sort of tractor apparatus cover I planned to throw out. His beaming wife told us all about the dream workshop he built for himself that sounded like something from Popular Mechanics meets Good Housekeeping.

For the friend who dropped by with her two adorable kids to buy the bike cart that racked up countless miles and countless memories with my kids.

Sarah is using my old bike cart to take her kids on neighborhood outings and to school.

For the family that lingered a little too long over by all of my pool supplies that were useless to me now that I didn't have my pool. They finally bought my Intel steps and gargantuan pool cover when I threw in every pool part I owned, then we had fun dismantling the ladder to fit in their car.

For the man who bought my son's bike, and then biked back over to tell me how much he liked it, thus allowing me to snag him to help me cart the stuff that didn't sell away. I guess I was good enough company that he returned later with his adorable six-year-old son, who grabbed his fishing pole and earnestly explained to me how it worked. This little whirlwind pinwheeled his way into my vegetable garden where he got a lesson on the veggies and herbs I like to grow and happily picked lettuce for his dinner salad, exclaiming that it was going to be the best salad ever!

Maybe garage sales are fun after all. Even if I only netted $383.

Have you ever suffered through hosting a garage sale? Do you like to shop at them?

My debut novel's out....Now what?

by Kim Van Sickler

Snatched in Gullybrook is the first of the four book's I've written that I've felt was ready to publish. More than ready. I'd spent nearly a year querying the book to agents and hearing back that the book was great...but too edgy. Yes, it's difficult to write a book about sex trafficking of minors as anything other than edgy.

Meanwhile, a human trafficking professor at OSU spent the past year urging me to publish the book so she could recommend it to the students in her massive open online course. I missed her last course. Her next one starts this month (August 2014.)

Did I really want to miss this opportunity again?

Uh, no.

I took the leap. I don't know what I'm doing, but doing it anyway. I enjoyed the publication process with CreateSpace. They were easy to work with, and any issues were resolved quickly and decisively. I loved finding Michael Di Gesu to create my cover art, Michelle Ziegler to develop my website, and Janie Sullivan and Kate Kyle Johnsen to edit my manuscript. Finding Dr. Jacqueline Meshelemiah, during the writing process, to guide me and inspire me. I've been contacting human trafficking organizations, registered to attend a September human trafficking conference, and encouraging book groups to read and discuss this difficult subject.

I decided to donate 10% of the profits I make to organizations that educate about human trafficking or rehabilitate/aid victims.

And I'm working on my next book so that I can take advantage of the momentum created by Snatched in Gullybrook, the first novel set in the sex trade industry and told from three interconnecting viewpoints. (See how I'm choosing to think optimistically, that the book will sell and readers will be looking for my follow-up novel?)

Here's the pitch for Snatched in Gullybrook: Three of Gullybrook’s teens are manipulated, then snatched from the local mall. In their new lives as sex slaves, Megan, Candace, and Sissy, strangers before their abduction, forge a bond with one another that becomes their lifeline.

I've got a giveaway going on Goodreads.

I hope you enter, or that you buy a copy of this book and become part of the "proceeds" I donate to human trafficking charities. I welcome your reviews on Goodreads and Amazon, and your recommendations to other readers.

I also welcome your advice. I'm learning as I go. This is a process. I'm in it for the long-term and want to do things the right way. What pearls of wisdom do you have for this debut novelist?

Stay Strong & Carry On

http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/

by Melissa Kline

www.deviantart.com

It doesn't matter how many books you’ve written, which articles you’ve had published, how many literary awards you've won or what you current “status” is as a writer – we all feel insecure and uncertain when it comes to our writing.

The above is a spin on a quote that has always stuck with me – because it’s so very true! I am on the verge of publishing a third novel and my insides are wiggling and jiggling with nerves. Will whoever read it like it? Is it written good enough? Does it make sense? Will others “get” it? What if there’s a typo? Or God forbid a ton of mistakes?

I could go all day with the ridiculous thoughts that run through my mind at the thought of sharing a piece of myself with the world. But at the heart of it all, I simply want to be accepted, understood, validated and celebrated – just like the rest of us!

I had no idea I wanted to be a professional writer for most of my life. Writing to me was fun, entertaining and a form of escape. It wasn't until after the completion of my fifth novel that I realized I wanted to share my writing with the world. I had been writing my entire life, but up to that point all of my novels were private. There was something that occurred while writing that fifth book - a metamorphosis. Since then, I have been very passionate about sharing my writing with others…but that still doesn't mean it is easy!

Melissa's book Storm was a finalist in the 2013 Next Generation Indie Book Awards

 Regardless of all of these complicated nerves, feelings and emotions, it is so very important to stay positive, keep pushing on and believe in you. Try not to take criticism from publishers, editors, peers and family so personally. Everyone is going to have a different opinion and advice on what you should or shouldn't do. Stay true to yourself and your own ideals. Most importantly don't ever give up! You never know whom you might inspire or impress.

There is nothing in the world more humbling than writing. Stay strong, my friends and carry on!