NOTE: When I get my copy of these posts sent via Mailchimp, a yellow warning box pops up. I click on Looks Safe, because it is. I'm not sure why gmail can't get that it is ok. Wondering if other servers are showing the same kind of message. Once Google drops sending the posts, we may see a change--sometime this month)
Today I have an interview to share with you. It's a little different than the usual as I will ask and answer the questions about my first story in a Chicken Soup for the Soul book and more on that anthology.
Interviewer Nancy: Tell me about the subject you selected for the first story you submitted to Chicken Soup for the Soul books.
Interviewee Nancy: I saw a call for submissions for a Father and Daughter themed book from Chicken Soup for the Soul publishers. That triggered a memory of a Valentine box my dad created for me to take to school. All the boxes would be lined up on a wide windowsill, and classmates would drop valentines into the slot on top of the box. Having my dad make the box for me turned out to be the first time I realized how much he loved me. Thus the title--"Love in a Box"
Interviewer Nancy: Tell me how you remembered the incident so clearly when you were only seven years old.
Interviewee Nancy: I believe that the things that impressed us greatly stay in our memory bank and can be pulled out when needed. The making of that valentine box on a Sunday evening in our tiny apartment kitchen is as clear to me as if it happened yesterday. I could not tell you what else happened the same week, only that experience.
Interviewer Nancy: Tell me why the story was so important to you.
Interviewee Nancy: As I mentioned earlier, the incident impressed me a great deal. My dad worked hard all week, a part-time job on Saturdays, and took care of household things to help my mother on weekends. He seldom did things that involved only me and him. That, in itself, felt very important to me, and I knew my daddy loved me a lot if he spent his evening making a treasured valentine box for me. I also loved that I had his complete attention.
Interviewer Nancy: Tell me how you felt when you learned "Love in a Box" would be published in a Chicken Soup for the Soul book.
Interviewee Nancy: Of course, I was ecstatic at the thought of being published in this extremely popular anthology series. I was also inspired to continue writing for this publication. I have sent many stories to them over the years. Not all were accepted which is not unusual. As of next month, I have been in 24 of the Chicken Soup books.
Interviewer Nancy: Has your story ever been published in other countries and/or translated into another language?
Interviewee Nancy: Yes, it has, via the Chicken Soup for the Soul publishers. Once again, I was inspired to keep writing and submitting stories to the anthology.
Interviewer Nancy: Tell me about any advice you might have for others who would like to be published in the Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies.
Interviewee Nancy: First, read several of the books they publish to get a feel for the type of story they like. Go to the website (www.chickensoup.com) and scroll down to the bottom. Click on Submit a Story. Here you will find 3 pages that tell you what books still need submissions, their guidelines, and the form for submissions. If you want to be published by this anthology series, they are 3 very important pages that you should read and study carefully. Following the guidelines cannot be stressed enough. Those guidelines will give you the bones, and you must write a story to add the flesh. Don't be afraid to submit even though the competition is great.
I have never been accused of talking to myself, but perhaps this interview will draw some comments about Nancy talking to Nancy. I'm not losing it yet, but felt this was one new way to get some information across about writing for Chicken Soup for the Soul.
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