That thing where you sign your name and freak out at the same time.

Contract for Publication.

There is nothing as exciting as putting your name on a paper that says, "I believe in you and your writing."
That happened for me today.

My YA novel KILLER POTENTIAL has been offered a home at BookFishBooks.
I should add--I've had my eye on these guys forever. (you should see their covers--gorgeous).

So this offer was something that hit me right in the heart--and also sent me a little insane--This is how I look dancing with joy.



This wonderful thing didn't just happen out of thin air. My writing groups, Critique Partners (especially my CPs), supportive and encouraging family and friends, Conferences, Being stubborn, Writing contests, Great authors I cut my teeth on, Amazing publication options available today, and sheer blessings--I've probably missed something too--all combined for this honor.

 

This is how my son and I greeted the inbox today.

 

I have no idea where my upper lip goes when I smile.

 

 

 

#Writer4Life

Personal Authorly Annoyance Policy.

I often see the quote "Don't annoy authors, or they'll put you in a book and kill you."

 

It's pretty cool. I like it, but...

 

It doesn't quote fit my personality.

 

 

so I took it as a challenge to come up with an annoyance policy of my own.

I’ve decided my personal-authorly-annoyance policy is:

“Annoy me, and I’ll put you in a book and try my best to figure out the good qualities I’ve obviously overlooked, (because that’s the only possible reason I could have gotten annoyed) on a journey that might end poorly for anyone and everyone.”…

...Sort of hard to fit on a mug.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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WriteTip: Query Smarter

Query anxiety should be a DSMVI listed phobia.

I spent days working-reworking; checking, double-checking my files needed to send off submission requests received after a pitch contest.

I mean, I had one foot in the door- my pitch did well enough to garner agents interest and they asked me to send my query, synopsis , and additional sample pages.
Happy Dance, Right?

Except Moronic-oversight never rests--especially when I'm anxious. My chances of doing something stupid rise tenfold.

The synopsis had me most concerned, since I struggle with that document, which is a step-by-step guide on the major events throughout the book. It let's the agents know what will happen, if the story arc is interesting and if you know how to close the dang thing satisfying enough for readers.

What I hadn't anticipated, was file corruption when working from a document. And it wasn't my synopsis- it was the actual query section--the first item in the email--the thing that says "I'm either a competent writer you can trust, or a total moron."

My query file looked perfect, when I copied and pasted it in the body of the email, because no one wants to open mystery attachments in emails anymore--virus/malware candy, but as soon as I hit send the document added shadow files from the file I had worked from in order to develop and spruce my query letter.

I didn't even know it. Until, later, out of writer-anxiety to make sure I sent files to the correct email accounts, I noticed something odd. My parenthesis marks indicating areas I needed to add for my query, which I only use when developing a document. Inside the parenthesis says, (personalize for agent).
Seriously.
How much dufus-ier can it get?
Much.
It duplicated the shadow files multiple times in the sent emails.

So the first thing any agent I sent the query to  sees, after the actual query I intended to send,  is impersonalized notes about needing to address and personalize my document--repeated two to three times.

Good first impression. I was mortified to say the least.

First I panicked and assumed my writing career was over, because obviously I'm a dufus. Who wants to sign a dufus? I don't--and I'm not even an agent.
Completely embarrassed and highly apologetic I sent an email stating my error and apologizing for sending a confusing and unprofessional submission.
I heard back from two of the agents, who were so kind and reassuring- informing me that human error happens, and computer error likes to jump on board wherever it can.

I wanted to jump through the screen and hug these agents, because I was truly in despair over this error.

I also learned a valuable tip. Here it is:
When copying and pasting files to the body of an email send a test copy to your own email address first to check how it's translating once sent through the internet. Or have a good buddy willing to receive your tester submission to check the files- do this at least once for each file you are copying to the body of an email.

Believe me. This is a good tip.

Dignity is something I gave up on in third grade when I ran into a tetherball pole during a recess game of freeze-tag, knocking out my front tooth and bloodying my entire face in the process.

It was my twelve embarrassing occurrence in my elementary experience and I realized it was best to stop holding myself to a dignified standard.
My nature opposed such things.

Basically, I'm Elaine Benes of Seinfeld.



Learn from me:
Send a dummy version of submissions to yourself. There's no harm in checking how your submission looks once it's been sent. And it's a whole lot less horrifying than realizing you sent something riddled with shadow file duplicates.

Write Smart--or if you're like me, Just Write On.

Talent Direction Goal Snowball Post: A Two Step Guide to Being Awesome

That's a dumb title, I know. I'll roll it all up nice and tidy at the end and you'll be like, "Great Title!"

Let's begin.
Even if you struggle with believing in yourself, let's admit you have Talent.
(look at that. I even capitalized it).

We all do. It doesn't have to be the same level of Talent as the person witting next to you or staring back at you on the movie screen. Your Talents can grow as much or as little as you Direct them- kind of like a Snowball filled with hope and a whole lot of effort.

But,

 Talent needs Direction. Let's make those Talents do what we want them to do.

Do we have Goals?

Let's call that Direction you seek a Goal. Now let's not get crazy. I'm not ringing in the New Year over here. (remember like a month ago when everyone made unrealistic resolutions? This is going to be easier--because we'll apply the snowball method of debt reduction to Goal completion and Talent investment). 

Ha! I'm tying it all together!

Good point. I make stuff up a lot. I am a writer after all...

Anyways. Directing Talent= Goal Setting.
Resolution face?

Don't worry I have a plan!

Apply the Goal Snowball mentioned earlier:
In other words, once a Goal has become a habit--then a new Goal can be introduced.
This is our budget of sanity and Direction with balancing time and priorities. Not to mention energy.

We do not have to be super-human to be successful.

Even the most successful people feel like this sometimes.

Don't let unrealistic ideals slam the door in your face.

So get that hug, and invest in your Talents with the Snowball method.

This is how.
STEP 1:  
Focus on the one thing that you can accomplish the fastest.
Yes, I said it. Don't pick your biggest weakness or most daunting flaw first.

It may be the thing you want to tackle most. You may have been trying for YEARS to overcome whatever weakness, strengthen whatever Talent, but still fall short.
Put it on the list.

But, start with a sure winner.
For example: If you have a crutch word--eliminate it. Just the one word. No more.
(You get it, pick something you can nail).


Nailed it!

Sweet. Let's move on to the second aspect of the Talent Snowball. Grow it.
Your confidence is up. You nailed a Goal set to Direct your Talent.

STEP 2:
Now roll that confidence and increased skill into the next easiest thing on the list.

Let me guess? You're thinking, "Well that was a waste of time. What good is it to build up a bunch of tiny little Goals all the time?"
Can this be my point?

I'm adding up in my head all the basic skills this kid needed to learn to even begin learning this kind of movement. (lift head, roll over, sit, crawl, stand, walk, groove, backflip hand on floor face save)?
Seriously, did this kid go from rolling over to backflips or something?
Sheesh, that's awesome.

So yeah, I'm telling you to build these tiny little abilities and make them massive!
Start with STEP 1 and continue repeating STEP 2.

Keep adding up the small things: YOU'RE AWESOME!


This has been a Talent Direction Goal Snowball Post.
Nailed it.

Body Image: Let's Change It

I'm an adult.

I think things like, "How do I look?"

I look in the mirror and cringe on a regular basis. It doesn't strike me as an abnormal reaction. I don't often bother to verbalize my thoughts about it...

And yet today when I waiting for my six year old daughter to change into her swim suit I heard her say, "the top of my legs are so fat and ugly."

My first reaction was anger. "What?"
Then reason, "We don't talk like that about ourselves."

She looked at me stunned. I'm not sure what she thought my reaction would be, but I definitely did something she wasn't expecting.

Good! I thought. Now I have her attention. I had to figure out what to do with it, and fast.
I know my girl and there is only a limited window of use of sustained attention.

"In our family we only use the words healthy or unhealthy. Are you healthy?"
"I guess..."
"Good. I think so too. When we get home we can make a fun poster to highlight all the ways we choose to be healthy." (She is a sucker for posters--seriously. She's constantly begging to make charts and posters. It's cute).

This also gave me time to gather my thoughts and develop a plan for the new body image regime I had just instilled for my entire household.

Here's what I came up with. Body image should not be solely defined by our visible characteristics. Thank goodness I told my girl we were using healthy and unhealthy! I could use more than just physical appearance criteria! Phew, dodged a bullet on that quick reaction.

It's not perfect--and didn't cut and paste nice and dandy, but it's a place to start. Also I had columns- it just wouldn't cooperate with the blog thing at my skill/knowledge/tech level)

The Poster:

Approved terms for Szymanski Family Body Image

HEALTHY OR UNHEALTHY

HEALTHY

Adequate sleep

Active (physical activity)

Good hygiene (clean and groomed)

Learning about/working on things/skills

Develop talents

Service minded

Grateful

 

UNHEALTHY

 

Not enough/too much sleep

Unbalanced food choices

Inactive

Poor hygiene
Disinterested in things/skills

Stunted talents/loss of talents

Self-centered/entitled
Selfish


If the majority of your behavior is within the healthy choices you are healthy.

 

If the majority of your behavior is within the unhealthy choices you are unhealthy and must pick one area/behavior to work on. Start with one and build from there.           

 

 

Being healthy isn't easy. It takes a lot of work. Dedication, determination, and discipline are all required to be healthy. Few, if any, of us have all the areas of health listed conquered at any given time. As long as you are majority healthy, you are healthy If you're not- guess what it's not the end of the world!!! You can pick one single area to improve. Make a goal for just that area, maybe two goals if you want to be an overachiever. Bring that area back over to the healthy side and if your still off balance pick one more until you are once again majority healthy.

I for one m constantly cycling.

It's okay. I'm human.

And I do things like make my family group costumes like this (I'm proud of this BTW Aquabats rule)

 

 

Disclaimer:

I like fat. It's not a bad word.

However, using it in a way to speak negatively or oneself or others is not the proper use of the word. Fat can be good and I have a great appreciation for it when in proper context.

Honor fat, use it for good.

Let's rethink how we encourage good choices in our families. Not to mention how we frame body image in everyone. It's not just what you see.