I remember the days of submitting to writing contests…if I didn’t final, I wanted to know…how close was I to the top 5? Because writing is a journey, and we’re always about improving our craft, we want to celebrate those who earned the spot of top 15, right behind the Finalists. Great Job! Bronze Medal Frasier Finalists 2013 GRACE MARK Lynn Blackburn Mary Robinson Julia Reffner Sue Nebbe Deb Garland Jennifer Dyer Carolyn Miller Jennie Atkins Elaine Stock Tom Threadgill Amanda Dykes Heidi Chiavaroli Jane Baker Amy Drown Join us at the MBT Pizza Party so we can recognize your amazing efforts! Oh…the Pizza Party, you say? Well…. Check out all the DEETS below – and don’t forget to sign up for tickets! Pizza Party & Frasier Award Ceremony From: $45 […]
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Pitch + Premise = Spine
Maybe you first heard of the “story spine” from Stanley Williams’ book, The Moral Premise. But I actually thought of the concept all by my lonesome the winter of 2011 at the first Deep Thinkers Retreat. Because it became clear to me we HAVE to know what the story is about in order to develop the character and the plot. The pitch is that one or two lines, the concept, of the story that you tell editors or agents. Or you friends when they ask, “What’s your story about.” You must be able to tell it in one or two succinct sentences. If you ramble or start telling too much, then you’re not nailing the core of your story. For example, my pitch for Dining with Joy was “It’s about […]
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Finding Balance With Writing & Life: Learning to Delegate
The summer after I graduated high school, I worked as a waitress at a local family restaurant that stayed open 24 hours. During a particularly busy rush after the bars closed at 2 a.m., I maneuvered through a crowded dining room, carrying a large oval tray above my head loaded with hot food. I approached the customers’ table and started serving their meals. A rowdy gentleman, who had consumed large quantities of alcohol, pushed his chair out, slamming it into my back. My knees buckled, but I struggled to keep from face planting in someone’s mashed potatoes while holding onto the heavy tray with the rest of the food. Unfortunately, the balance had shifted on the tray. To my horror, a side order of beef gravy slid and spilled down […]
Read the RestMemorialize Your Accomplishments, Part 4: Celebrate Your Dreams
I know, that sounds almost counterintuitive but that’s not the case at all. Every person reading this has a dream. Congratulations. It is rare that anyone ever stumbles into success without having a dream. In fact, I’ve never heard of it. Sadly, there is an overwhelming number of people in the world who exist through each day without any sort of direction, goals or dreams. They wake up one day—usually when it’s too late—and discover they forgot to live life. They have nothing to show for it. But that’s not you. You have a dream and one of the greatest ways to memorialize your accomplishments is by celebrating them. It’s the achievement yet to come, something to look forward to and to strive for. Each step you take toward the […]
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