Make A List

My friend, Annette Gendler talked about her list of things to do in the fall in today's post on her blog. We all have things we like to do in the various seasons. We may make a mental list but Annette has actually written hers down.

It made me think of a mental list I've been making and adding to. There have been several recent calls for submissions that have sparked my interest. When sine have arrived and I go through the wants and guidelines, I've thought that it is definitely something I'd like to submit to. So I leave it in my Inbox and move on. There have been quite a few lately, and my mental list has gotten longer and has also been fading fast. Life and all it throws at us can make that happen.

Last night, I was looking through the list of messages in my Inbox, searching for a particular one. As I scrolled down the list, I noticed a few of those calls that I wanted to go back to. Some I'd completely forgotten. It's obvsious that I need to make an actual list, not try to keep it in my crowded brain, which has been working hard for a good many years.

One of my tasks today is to go back through those messages and single out the ones I want to remember. I'll make a list on paper, in black and white. It's one I will be able to refer to more easily, and needed to keep submission deadlines in mind. It's so easy to get busy with other things and completely miss a deadline.

So, make your list of writing projects. Make a list of calls for submissions that appeal to you. Make a list of books about writing that you'd like to read. Don't try to stuff it all into a little compartment in your mind that might get hidden behind other things in your life. Make a list and keep it nearby so you can be reminded.

There's A Dragon In The Library

Happy Labor Day! A holiday for many and the day we usually consider a book-end to summer, with Memorial Day being the matching book-end to say summer is beginning.

Just a short post on this holiday. A children's story I wrote some time ago has been publsihed at Knowonder! ezine. I wrote about the assistant editor contacting me last week about the story, which I'd submitted to them over two years ago. The ezine/magazine--they had both an online and print edition--had gone out of business. Then, additional funding made it possible for them to get going again. The online ezine offers children a story per day.

Readers are invited to vote for the one they like best each month. The story receiving the most votes gets $100.It's the only monetary compensation. As much as I think all writing should be compensated, I make an exception for children's ezines like this one that encourages reading.

A comment left at the end of the story counts as a vote. So, if anyone would like to read "There's A Dragon In The LIbrary" at Knowonder! and leave a comment, I'd be most appreciative.

If you write children's stories, check out the submission process at www.knowonder.com and send your best story in. With a story per day, they are looking for stories. It's a great opportunity for those who write for kids.

An Unexpected Award

I did a last e-mail check just before toddling off to bed last night, and I found a message that made my day. Fatigue floated away when I read that Tracy Millions had named me as a recipient of the Liebster Award. I'd never heard of it, so I trekked on over to Tracy's blog to read more about it. There I learned it's an award meant to connect bloggers, particularly those who have less than 200 Followers. In the blog world, i'ts a Friendship Award.

Each person who receives it is asked to pass it on to five other bloggers who might qualify as a friend who has a blog with fewer than the 200 Followers. I read what Tracy had to say about the people she named for the award, and it seemed as though I would like every one of those people, and I definitely intedn to check out their blogs. I was also very pleases with what she had to say about me and my blog.

 I also select Nancy for this award as she is a writer (yes, Kansan) who encourages other writers to create and submit and take chances and try new writerly things. She is a very accomplished, yet down-to-earth writer who has practical advice for writing as well as encouraging words.


So, now it's my turn. I'd like to give the Liebster Award to the following people who blog and are my friends, too.


1. Fiona who goes by Fi most of the time. She lives in the Forest of Dean in the UK and is one of the most energetic writers I know. She flies above the clouds with good cheer for other wirters. She is an excellent writer and a fine friend to have.


2.  Mary because I admire many things about her. She is a talented graphic designer, an excellent writer, and she lives in my old hometown--Chicago--so I feel a real connection in that respect, too. 


3.  Betty, known to many as B.J., because she was one of my first Followers and has always supported my blog with comments and faithful reading. She is also determined to hone her craft. When she couldn't find a critique group, she started one. Her blog showcases her short stories and an occasional poem.


4.  Tom writes historical novels and some poetry. He encourages other writers through his blog and facebook, with a fine dose of humor tossed in. His blog posts are varied and always of interest.


5.  Annette writes memoir and teaches writing classes in Chicago. She has a wealth of good information for writers on her blog. I am also thankful for the many little tips she's passed on to me to make my blog easier to write and to read. 


I hope each of the five people I named will pass on the award to other bloggers, so that the goal of connecting bloggers around the world is met. It will also bring some new readers for each blogger. Notify them by leaving a comment on their blog, which is how Tracy informed me. 


Thank you, Tracy, for the recognition. Liebsters forever!

Wordsmith Plays Up Poems and Prose

Linda Carlson, moderator of The Wordsmith website, has a gift. She is able to add spectacular graphics to poetry and prose that sets them off to perfection. The most recent effort she has done for me is to publish my poem "A Heavenly Gift."  She has captured this poem about the Kansas tallgrass prairie perfectly.

After the poem itself, there is a rolling show of Kansas praire scenes that take me home immediately. Look at her version of my poem.

This poem was a first place winner in the Themed Category of our Kansas Authors state contest several years ago and has been published several times.

Chicken Soup Is Calling

It never ceases to amaze me that Chicken Soup for the Soul publishers continue to find new topics for the anthologies they produce in massive numbers. What started out as one anthology exploded into a multi-million dollar per year business. Good for the publishers and good for the writers who have been accepted for various titles.

I've received calls for stories for two new titles this past week. One is Say Good-bye to Back Pain and the other is Say Good-bye to Stress. Both books will have stories by people who have dealt with and learned to manage both these problems. A medical expert will add some expertise on each subject. Not everyone has had to live with debilitating back pain, but I think it's safe to say that we all have stress in our lives of one sort or another. Learning to meet it head-on and push it out of your life is the type of story they're looking for.  If you want to learn more about these and other books in the works, check out the Chicken Soup website. Be sure to note the deadlines for submission to each book listed.

At the end of December 2010, Chicken Soup released a book called Shaping The New You, which was about getting fit through diet and exercise. Now, these next books on back pain and stress are in the works. It sounds as though there is going to be a full series on medical issues. With the long list of these, we should be set for many more books down the line.

Ever since receiving the notices from the Chicken Soup publishers, I've been raking through my memory bank to determine what I might write about for these new books. I haven't made any decisions as yet, but one thing will start repeating itself in my mind, and that's the one I had better pay attention to. There is no limit on the number of stories a writer may submit, so send as many as you like.

A Memorable Mother's Day

This was going to be an unusual Mother's Day because we were out of town at a wedding on Saturday and were to go on to a resort area in a lake district to meet two couples on Sunday. They are longtime friends whom we meet somewhere once a year.

I did see my daughter and her husband on Saturday as they were also at the wedding. We'd gone out to get a light lunch between the noon wedding and evening reception. Ragland Road Irish Pub in the new entertainment district of Kansas City was a nice spot to do that.

Sunday morning, we had breakfast at our hotel and lots of people from the wedding were there so I received many Happy Mother's Day greetings. We were ready to check out when Ken discovered his credit card was missing. Panic!

The only place he'd used it all day was at the Irish Pub. "Must've left it there after signing the receipt," he said.

5 hours later---security office tried to get hold of the manager, no go. We waited for them to open at noon. No go. Another restaurant manager said they opened at 3 on Sunday. More waiting. No go. Apparently they all went to spend Mother's Day with their mamas because they never opened at all!

We called and cancelled our credit card, called the two couples on their way to meet us to say we'd be late, and off we went to the Lake of the Ozarks. Had planned to be there by noon to open the condo and greet our friends when they arrived since we were host couple this year. Instead, we arrived after six and they greeted us!

Maybe it would have been better to spend Mother's Day with family in the more usual way. I did get to see my daughter that morning at the hotel and my son did call from Dallas to wish me a Happy Mother's Day.

Today, the three men are playing golf and we women will hit a huge outlet mall. A better Monday than Sunday, I hope.

Submission Call From Chicken Soup

I received the following yesterday and wanted to share it with my readers. I f  you submit a story for Chicken Soup for the Soul, there is a place on the submission form to check if you want to receive mailings from this anthology publisher. This is the type of thing they send. Very worthwhile to any writer.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Here Comes the Bride 101 Stories of Love, Laughter and Family You did it! You found that one special person with whom you want to spend the rest of your life... your soulmate... your best friend. Now it's time to plan for your big day. Your wedding is one of the most special and memorable events in your life. It will bring you warm and wonderful memories for many years to come. And there might also be some humorous and disastrous memories surrounding your big day too. We want to hear all about everything! We are looking for true stories and poems about your wedding and about being a bride. We'd love to hear from the groom too. From the proposal to the multitude of arrangements to the rehearsal to the big day to the honeymoon and everything in between. Did everything go as planned? Did the best man forget the ring? Was your first dance the most romantic dance ever? Did your mother-in-law ruin your day? Stories can be touching and inspirational or wicked and funny. Here are some suggested topics but we know you can think of many more: The proposal The rings The perfect dress The location of the wedding The rehearsal/rehearsal dinner The bridal shower/the bachelor party The big day The honeymoon If your story is chosen, you will be a published author and your bio will be printed in the book if you so choose. You will also receive a check for $200 and 10 free copies of your book, worth more than $100. You will retain the copyright for your story and you will retain the right to resell it. Please remember, we do not like "as told to" stories. Please write in the first person about yourself or someone close to you. Do not ghost write a story for someone else. If a story was previously published, we will probably not use it unless it ran in a small circulation venue. Let us know where the story was previously published in the "Comments" section of the submission form. SUBMISSIONS GO TO http://chickensoup.comSelect the Submit Your Story link on the left tool bar and follow the directions. The deadline date for story submissions is June 30, 2011. CONTACT US Please do not reply or send questions to this address. For any further questions or correspondence, contact webmaster@chickensoupforthesoul.com or visit our website at http://www.chickensoup.com. TO UNSUBSCRIBE please send an e-mail to webmaster@chickensoupforthesoul.com with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line or mail your request to: Chicken Soup for the Soul Publishing, LLC P.O. Box 700 Cos Cob, CT 06807-0700