Good Things To Come

I'm excited! Super excited, even. Do you want to know why? I have this sense of good things to come in 2010, more specifically in the first half of 2010...and here's why:

A) I entered Seeds of Salton in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest on the advice of my editor, Susanne Lakin, who entered one of her books last year. She made it to the top 100 (which is quite an accomplishment!), and had tons of fun connecting with other writers as the contest progressed. The contest is decided through four stages of elimination with the winner being announced June 10th.

B) I just registered for the Northern Colorado Writers Conference in Fort Collins, Colorado, March 26 & 27, 2010. They have a great line-up of speakers, authors, agents, editors--the works, packed into a two-day conference. I'm really looking forward to attending a new conference, after having attended the Southern California Writers Conference (San Diego) in 2007 and 2008. Last year I was unable to make it to a conference and really missed it engaging with new writing friends. My plan is to drive, rather than fly, so I'll be praying for mild, sunny weather come March!

C) I also signed up for the (amazing!) Landscape and Literature writing retreat hosted by author Page Lambert at the Vee Bar Guest Ranch near Laramie, Wyoming. Actually a thought just occurred to me...maybe when I leave the NCWC conference in March, I should drive right to Laramie and park my car at the entrance to the Vee Bar and wait until May 29th when it starts! So yes, you can tell I am excited about spending five days in a creek-side mountain cabin, journaling, riding horse, talking writing, and finding that "voice" inside.

All of that only takes me to June. Who knows what could happen the rest of the year! :)

Barbara

The Great January Escape

Like a lot of Minnesotans, hubby and I opted for a temporary escape from the cold and snow and headed south to the desert sun of Phoenix, Arizona. Our trip revolved mostly around family time. We stayed with John's mom and aunt in Phoenix, and also spent a relaxing day with our daughter Karli and her boyfriend Diego. We enjoyed browsing the shops in Old Town Scottsdale, Cave Creek, and Fountain Hills, (although we both agreed it just wasn't the same in Fountain Hills without the big Arts & Crafts festival going and the live music of Brule'!) We also checked out the new Cardinals stadium in Glendale and looked at some new toy haulers at an RV show.

For once I didn't bring any manuscript pages to edit and instead scrounged for a book at Grandma's house and came up with "The Loop", by Nicholas Evans. The book turned out to be a great novel and I enjoyed having some quiet time to simply sit back and read. We thoroughly enjoyed our days of blue sky, warm sun, and the unique desert landscape.

Even though we were in Arizona, we watched the Minnesota Vikings game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. We were thrilled of course that the Vikings beat the Cowboys 34-3, but the best part was watching Brett Farve in the locker room after the game singing his own version of "pants on the ground, pants on the ground!" from last week's American Idol. Boys will be boys! :)

Come Tuesday it was a little disheartening when we descended through the clouds at the Minneapolis airport and saw nothing but gray. Gray sky. Gray snow. Gray pavement. Ugh.

So now it's time to get back to work. This week I'm writing a short story to enter in the Talking Stick contest sponsored by the Jackpine Writers group, I'm starting an article for the next issue of the Trinity Trumpet, and starting the outline for my agent chart.

Happy writing. Stay warm. Go Vikes!

Barbara

Artisan Dreams

It's January...not only a brand new year, but a new decade. Everyone is talking and tweeting about New Year's resolutions: eat healthy, exercise more, set goals. For me, it's a time to look back and see how much I've accomplished in the past year and then set specific goals for the upcoming year.

In 2010 I plan to:

• obtain an agent
• send query letters
• format an agent chart
• choose a writer's conference
• polish completed manuscript, Seeds of Salton
• work through changes from copyedit
• write...read...write...write more

From 2000 to 2010 I committed the full decade to my writing, and thankfully have much to show for ten years of work. While I want to continue my pursuits in prose, I recently decided I don't want to limit my creativity to a singular art form. For the first time I allowed myself to wonder if there are other artistic abilities hidden away, deep within me, just waiting to come out. My inspiration for this notion came during an episode of "Hidden Heritage" when host Paul LaRoche sat down with Native American recording artist Bill Miller as his guest.

I thought--mistakenly so--that Bill Miller was "just" a musician. He's a musician all right--a 2009 Grammy-nominated one at that, (for his album, Spirit Wind North.) I soon learned he is so much more. Check out his website http://www.billmillerarts.com/ and view firsthand the full array of his many amazing gifts and talents. As it states on his homepage, "Bill Miller is an award-winning recording artist, performer, songwriter, activist, painter, and world-class accomplished flute player. Over the past four years, Miller has produced two incredible albums, received a Grammy Award and led Wisconsin’s La Crosse Symphony Orchestra, a member of the League of American Orchestras."

I'm not fooling myself to believe that I have talents anywhere near the likes of Bill Miller, but in listening to him share his passion and ideas with Paul and seeing the beauty of his stunning artwork, it inspired me to consider what other art forms I might pursue. I've mentioned before that my husband and I are planning to list our house for sale and look for a place "in the country." I've already made up my mind I no longer want a home office--it sounds far too restricting, too confining...too much like "office work." My hope now is to have a loft or a studio, a place that will allow the creative juices to flow in multiple art forms.

Someday--maybe by the end of this decade--I can call myself an "artisan."

Here's to your dreams in 2010...and beyond.
Barbara

Christmas Wish List

I found what I believe is the most perfect writing retreat--ever. (Or at least within my immediate reaches.) It's called "Explore the Literature and Landscape of the Horse", hosted by author and speaker Page Lambert this summer at the Vee Bar Guest Ranch in Wyoming. Each participant is paired up with a horse for the week and as the brochure states, "As we learn more about how a horse communicates with the world, we develop a deeper awareness of how we communicate with the world." I get goosebumps just thinking about it!

As someone who has lived in the suburbs of Minneapolis/St. Paul for the last 20 years, I can only imagine how engaging and life-changing an experience like this would be. My daily environment consists of strip malls, giant box retailers with giant paved parking lots, traffic lights, traffic congestion, and just plain traffic. This fall our suburb, which is on the outer fringe of the Twin Cities Metro, added two metro transit stations with daily bus service to the Twin Cities. I told my husband that was the last straw--it's time to get out.

Actually, we do plan to list our house for sale with hopes of moving to "the country", and we plan to keep an open mind for whatever opportunities come our way. In the mean time, I'll be dreaming about a cabin nestled along a rushing creek at the Vee Bar ranch, imagining what I can learn from a horse, as we spend 5 days "riding and writing" in the Snowy Range Mountains of Wyoming. And to think I'll have a real horse this time--not a little plastic one like I took to the Buffalo Gap Guest Ranch in September. (Although I have to admit, Rio and I did have a special time together.)

So yes, a week at the Vee Bar ranch with author Page Lambert and facilitator Sheri Griffith is at the top of my Christmas Wish List for 2009!

Barbara

Christmas--Celebrating the Joy of Faith and Family God's Way

As I look out my office window this morning, the ground is covered in fresh white snow. It's only a dusting...tips of short green grass poke through, as though they're not ready to be hidden away for the long winter that we get to "enjoy" here in Minnesota.

Yes, it is December...the season of Christ's birth. For many it is a time of family get-togethers, of decorating the house in red and green, and gift-giving. If you are looking for a heartwarming and economical Christmas gift, consider the book, Christmas--Celebrating the Joy of Faith and Family God's Way, Whitestone Books, a collection of true and tender holiday stories. Each story is a real life reminder that Christmas truly begins in the loving heart of the Father.

A Christmas Bundle is one of my stories selected for the book and shares my unexpected arrival for my parents late in life. With a willingness and obedience to God, Jessie and Percy Veden selflessly accepted the responsibility of raising another child in their 50s, a time when most couples were in the twilight of their parenting years. In a small, rural farmhouse, they welcomed another baby into their simple home, placing the well-worn crib in the midst of the warm kitchen where Jessie spent most of her days.

Christmas-God's Way is available on my website on the Anthologies page. While you're there, check out the other compilation books such as Cup of Comfort for Mothers and Sons, Cup of Comfort for Single Mothers, Groovy Chicks' Road Trip to Love, and Finding and Following God's Will.

Christmas Blessings,

Barbara

November is National Adoption Month

NATIONAL ADOPTION MONTH, 2009- - - - - - -BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

"All children deserve a safe, loving family to protect and care for them. In America, thousands of young people are waiting for that opportunity. During National Adoption Month, we honor those families that have strengthened America through adoption, and we recommit to reducing the number of children awaiting adoption into loving families.

America is a country rich in resources and filled with countless caring men and women who hope to adopt. These individuals come from all walks of life, united in their commitment to love a child who is in need of the protective arms of a parent. We must do more to ensure that adoption is a viable option for them. By continually opening up the doors to adoption, and supporting full equality in adoption laws for all American families, we allow more children to find the permanent homes they yearn for and deserve."

Thus begins the formal presidential proclamation for National Adoption Month. May we take time this month to recognize individuals and couples who have adopted and raised children as their own. My sister adopted two children, Brian and Stephanie, and dedicated her time and love to raise them. My brother adopted two boys, David and Bruce, and I can't imagine our family without having known and loved these children.

When I wrote "Hidden Heritage...the Story of Paul LaRoche", the true story of a white couple who adopted an American Indian boy, I became intimately involved in the Summers-LaRoche family. Paul's story is inspiring and uplifting on both sides of the adoption coin...his adoptive home was warm and loving, and when he reunited with his birth family as an adult, he was embraced and welcomed back. His is a wonderful example of how adoption can and should work.

This month let us salute all the people and families who have given and shared love--the greatest gift of all--under the umbrella of adoption.

Blessings,
Barbara

Link to presidential proclamation: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/presidential-proclamations-national-adoption-month

Planning, Progress, and Pay-off

I finished the first draft of my current novel "Seeds of Salton" in two years, writing and working at a steady, sometimes-frenzied pace, all while keeping up with my home and part-time day-job. When I finished the last chapter this spring and read through the entire 356 pages I found myself face-to-face with the same question a lot of writers do: How do I turn this draft into a polished manuscript that I can present to agents or editors?

Like many I turned to the Internet to research my options, reading agent blogs and writers websites. I knew first-hand that writers conferences hold a wealth of helpful resources. In 2007 and 2008 I attended the Southern California Writer's Conference in San Diego, but I lacked the time and money to get to another one this fall. There were numerous editors-for-hire all over the web, but who could I trust?

To start, I turned to a writer friend who recommended editor and author Susanne Lakin in California. I contacted Susanne and we "hit it off" right from the start. I hired her to do a content edit of the manuscript, which she promptly did. She responded with many positive things to say about my writing and the manuscript, which gave me an enormous boost of confidence. In her eight-page critique she outlined my weaknesses in the premise and story arch. More importantly though, she offered suggestions on how to strengthen the manuscript in a way that made sense to me.

In the midst of working with Susanne, I attended "Story Mastery" with Michael Hauge, presented by the Midwest Fiction Writers & Screenwriters of Minnesota right near my home in Minneapolis. Michael's handouts included Key Story Component Breakdowns and a Six-Stage Plot Structure worksheet--exactly what I needed to fine-tune my own plot structure. What hit me even deeper, however, was how he presented the protagonist's character arch through "Identity and Essence" and the tug of war between the two.

Susanne Lakin also suggested I purchase the CD set for a seminar taught by T. Davis Bunn at the Mount Hermon Writer's Conference in 2009, titled "Taking Your Fiction to the Next Level," another wonderful seminar about story arch and character development. By this time everything began to "click" and I had a much clearer understanding of premise, tone, voice, and character development.

And then came the fun part! I did my best to take all these news helps and apply them to my manuscript. These past few weeks I've had a ball putting all that I've learned into action. I've cut pages, tightened paragraphs, and rewritten several scenes like there's no tomorrow. The pay-off is a much improved manuscript and a newly instilled confidence to go with it. I still plan to attend a national writer's conference this winter, but for now I am thankful for the opportunities that have crossed my path without having to leave home.

It's rewarding and uplifting to have people like Susanne, Michael and Davis who are willing to share their expertise with those of us on this journey to publication. Thank you, thank you!
Barbara