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THE “WRITE” CONNECTIONS

By Peg Finley

    As an aspiring writer, I’m always excited when something magical happens and every detail just seems to connect. You know, that moment when you are at the right place at exactly the right time with the right connections. For me, it was a defining moment in my writing career.

    About a month ago, Val Falconer who cofounded The Elf and Toadstool Canadian Writing and Illustrating Centre asked to join her staff. I was elated at the possibility of working on such a great website. It was a writer’s dream and ranked right up there with getting an acceptance from an editor.

    Later on in the same conversation, she told me about a project that she just learned about…a project that I couldn’t resist participating in. Both Val and I agreed that we would both be honored to be a part of the Big Cat Rescue’s letter program.

    I contacted LaWanna Jones, Entrepreneur and Computer Programmer, by phone and felt an immediate kinship with her. Her enthusiasm was evident from the first moment we spoke. She explained that she was actively seeking children’s writers to work on letters from characters such as the Tooth Fairy, Santa and Easter Bunny, etc. Parents could buy the CD and use it to send their child letters that focused on events that happened in their young lives while supporting a great cause.

    The CD will be sold by BigCatRescue.com in their endeavors to feed and house abused and neglected lions, leopards and tigers as well as other wild cats. The CD is scheduled to be ready for purchase by the public some time in October 2007.

    I was so excited about the project that I called a friend; Jane from Minnesota who I hadn’t spoke to for almost three months, to tell her about the opportunity to work with Big Cats Rescue.

    Jane got really quiet immediately. “What did you just say?’ she finally asked.

    I replied, “I’m going to be working with Big Cat Rescue.” It was then that she told me that she and her family were going to be visiting/volunteering at Big Cat Rescue out of Tampa, Florida in about five days. She also let me know that she was taking her digital camera and would be sending me a copy of all the pictures that she would be taking.

    Apparently, the firm that her son-in-law Kyle works for encourages their staff to give their time to great cause. His choice was Big Cat Rescue. Talk about a coincidence…if you believe in that sort of thing. I personally believe that it was one of those magical moments…that confirmed that I was pursuing the right dream. In that moment, I knew without a doubt that I was where I should be.
    Just last night Jane called me and relayed that the experience at Big Cat Rescue was totally awesome. She just couldn’t say enough about the staff and the animals there. Her enthusiasm was contagious. I received my copies of the pictures this morning and they are fabulous, to say the least.

    If you want to know more about Big Cat Rescue, you can click on this link bigcatrescue.com. More information on LaWanna Jones can be obtained by clicking this link Zoofun4U.com or return2eden.org. Both sites are for kids as well as adults.

THE FIVE P’s OF PRE-PUBLISHING
by Peg Finley

Becoming a published writer takes a lot of work… emotional, mental and physical. It also takes what I call the “Five P’s” to make it in this competitive field, especially with all the talented writers that are out there.

Passion, Persistence, Practice, Perfection and Patience
I started seriously writing for children in the summer of 2004 (though I dreamt about being a writer of children’s stories and books for years and years). I have learned a lot since that time. My poor critique partners put up with a lot from me and I am forever in their debt.

OK...Let's get back to what this article is really about.

1.	Passion is defined by Thornton Barnhart Beginning Dictionary’s Fifth Edition as “a thing for which a strong liking is felt.” For me as a writer, I found having a passion for writing is what writing is all about. My passion started small with an article about my mom and grew to the point where not writing regularly can be compared to not breathing regularly. For me, writing just needs to be done if I am going to live. When I experience a bit of a writer’s block, it drives me crazy. It drains me mentally. Sometimes, your passion may be what catches an editor’s eye. I know it has gotten me a second look for a manuscript I wrote recently. Her personal note thrilled me when it read,” Your passion for writing comes through loud and clear.”
2.	Persistence comes from the base word “persist.” It is defined as “a refusal to stop, not giving up in the face of difficulties.” Rejections, even personal ones, are not something that a writer likes to receive but it happens…even to the most talented writer. When I got my first rejection I thought, I’m never going to write again. I almost gave up until my critique group members encouraged me to revise it and send it out to another publisher. They said “Practice makes perfect, Peg!” So practice, practice and more practice became one of my mottos. I have the carpal tunnel and sore back to prove it.
3.	The definition of Practice is “an action being done over and over to develop a skill.” I’m living proof that growth as a writer can come directly from the art of practice. Now, when I pull out a piece I worked on during that first year, I can’t help but laugh. Believe me, some of it would be good comedy material if only I had comedic timing. While revising/practice can be a writer’s worst enemy, it became my best friend when I realized that my stories improved with revision. Unfortunately, it was a hard lesson for me to learn. I balked at doing revisions for almost a year after I started to write … then finally I truly accepted it. Now, I look at getting suggestions from others as a challenge for me to make my words absolutely “perfect.”
4.	Perfection comes next. I’m not just talking about dotting your “i’s” and crossing your “t’s” …though those things are crucial. It’s in a writer’s best interest to get a good grammar book. You’ll want to submit the most professional cover letter and manuscript that you possibly can. Neatness does count…but just as important is a writer’s use of the best possible choice of words. Consider the following two sentences. The little girl was excited versusThe tiny blond girl’s eyes sparkled as the ice cream truck pulled up. The details matter. It makes the subject come to life for the reader. We know the what, why, when, where and how of the little girl’s excitement.
5.	Patience which is defined as “a calm bearing of pain or of difficulty waiting.” For me, this was one of the most difficult of the five P’s to master. I still struggle with the “I wanted it yesterday” syndrome. It is just less emotionally painful than it used to be. When I had passionately and persistently practiced my craft to perfection and sent it out, it was hard to wait. Talk about tongues twisters; try wrapping your tongue around that one. It was torture to send off my “baby” and not hear back about its fate. This is sometimes aggravated by the current industry policy of not responding unless they, the publishers, are interested in publishing a manuscript. For me, even a form rejection is better than not knowing what is happening. Now, for those who decide that self-publishing is the way to go…all of the above paragraphs apply. The big difference is in what you have to be patient about. If you take the time to follow the Five P’s of Pre-Publishing, you too can get that wonderful first acceptance and be on “cloud nine.” I wish you the best of luck on your writing journey.

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