V is for Vested

V is for Vested

According to Webster, being vested means a person is fully and unconditionally guaranteed a legal right to a benefit or privilege from the object interested in.  But in order to become vested, you have to contribute something to the endeavor first. While it's not the precise interpretation of the way I feel, it is an accurate representation of how I regard my fellow aspiring writers here in the blogosphere. 

I am vested in all of your writing pursuits.  When you find success, I also feel accomplished.  No matter how big or small, I celebrate right alongside of you. And when you’re struggling or doubting (and I say when…not if…because it will happen), I do what I can to see you through to the other side.  I help support your book launches, interviews, blog tours, reviews, and any other promotional activities you can dream up.  I am here through the thick and thin, and when you find it necessary to back away for some needed perspective, I’m here waiting when you return.  I am a backseat passenger on your drive to publication, and I care.

And the best part is…I am not alone.  The entire blogosphere, at least the parts I frequent, are made up of people just like me.  I dare you to find a more encouraging group anywhere.  And I’ll tell you why…because we each see ourselves in the other.  I am you.  You are me.  This isn’t a case of who is going to claw their selves to the top, leaving behind the broken and defeated, but rather a positive group dynamic.  Wherever possible, leave no writer behind!

I am vested!  What about you? :)

U is for Unique

U is for Unique

Seven billion + people on the planet, and every one of us are unique.  We embrace our families, and similarities with others, because it helps us feel less alone.  There is safety in numbers after all.  But hard as some of us might try to blend in, to pretend as if we're just another check mark on the decennial census, nothing can be further from the truth. 

Is it any wonder the world seems so screwed up sometimes?  Think about it, seven billion individuals trying to reach consensus on so many different topics.  But we tend not to think that way...we love to categorize people and put them in tiny boxes that help define them.  That's so much easier to wrap our brains around.  And the worst part is....we let it happen.  We fall into the trap of thinking that it's so much easier to get things done when your part of a group (safety in numbers) and we don't even realize that we've suddenly been labeled.  We become identified with the characteristics of the crowd and slowly but surely those things about us that make us unique begin to erode.  It makes it easy to forget how special we really are.

My post today is to remind each of you of a simple truth...YOU ARE NOT JUST ANOTHER COG IN THE MACHINE.  You are unique!  Celebrate that fact, don't run from it.  :)

T is for Tiana – The Blog Decorator

T is for Tiana – The Blog Decorator

For me, HTML is just a collection of oddly out of sequence letters.  I do consider myself moderately tech-savvy, and in some areas maybe even advanced, but when it comes to web-design, graphic arts, and conceptualizing ideas visually, I fall flat on my face.  I’ve done a fair job with the design of my blog, but I’ve never been totally satisfied with it because of my short-comings.  Now that I’m considering altering my on-line presence to include a larger part of my writing persona, I know I can’t rely on my own amateur abilities to accomplish my goal.  I need professional help (hold the wisecracks!), and that’s where Tiana Smith comes in.

Tiana is a writer/blogger like the rest of us and we’ve been cyber-buddies for a couple years now.  She enjoys writing children books and since she was the winner of the first ever WRiTE CLUB contest, I bet she’ll be quite successful once she pursues publication.  But her talent doesn’t stop there.  Apart from being a closet lion-tamer, Tiana is also an accomplished blog template designer.  Seriously, she knows her stuff!  And the good news is that recently she decided to take her skills on the road and opened The Blog Decorator website.  There she offers everything from premade templates to A la carte services, all at a very reasonable price.

 

So if you’re considering a complete website redesign like I am, or just want to consider a fresh new look, drop by Tiana’s site and check it out.  You won’t be sorry!

(As a side note – this was my 300^th post! When I wrote #1 there’s was no way I could envision reaching this point…which naturally leads me to believe there are other achievements I cannot see yet.  I find that a comforting notion.)

S is for Self-Aggrandishment

S is for Self-Aggrandishment

I had to look this word up when I received a comment on one of my earlier posts using it.  Here’s what it means:

Adj.	1.	self-aggrandising - of or relating to or characteristic of self-aggrandizement , self-aggrandizing
	2.	self-aggrandising - exhibiting self-importance; "big talk" boastful, braggart, bragging, braggy, cock-a-hoop, crowing, self-aggrandizing, big proud - feeling self-respect or pleasure in something by which you measure your self-worth; or being a reason for pride; "proud parents"; "proud of his accomplishments"; "a proud moment"; "proud to serve his country"; "a proud name"; "proud princes"

The post in question was for the letter C, where I discussed being one of the co-hosts of this year’s A to Z Challenge.  I guess to the commentor I came off sounding a bit cocky (or a lot cocky…don’t really know).  It gave me pause and made me think about some things.  That resulted in this blog post…lucky you!  :)

I didn’t respond to the comment back then, so I guess this sort of is my reply.  In my mind, there’s a difference between “tooting your own horn” and “rubbing it in”, and it’s the latter where a charge of self-aggrandishment could possibly come into play.  As far as touting my accomplishments go, in essence that is what this blog is for.  I started this blogging journey 2 + years ago for one reason, to help me in my pursuit to become published.  That doesn’t happen by remaining meek and silent, you have to stand up tall and let others see what you are capable of.  Sometimes that means waving your arms, jumping up and down, doing cartwheels, acting the fool, whatever it takes.  Once you have their attention then hopefully the depth of your words and sincerity of your message will lead them to closer to you.  At least that’s the plan…my plan.

I’m sorry if my tone comes across as self-aggrandising, that is never my intent. But what I won’t do is apologize for celebrating my successes, none of us should.

R is for Rookie or Rudy?

R is for Rookie or Rudy?

This is another repost that fits perfectly today’s theme.

I love sports movies!  Really, I’m fanatical about movies in general; love them almost as much as books, but movies that revolve around sports stand apart as my favorite.  The Natural, The Miracle, Eight Men Out, Field of Dreams, Hoosiers, Mystery Alaska, Sandlot, Angels in the Outfield, Raging Bull, Brian’s Song, The Cinderella Man, The Champ, Rocky, A League of Their Own, Major League, Jerry Maguire, Remember the Titans, Seabiscuit, Moneyball.  I can go on and on and on.  I think what I love most about these movies is the inspirational undertone that they all have in common.  But today’s diatribe isn’t about movies, rather just two films in particular and how their message serves as a backdrop to what some of us struggle with.

The first one is The Rookie, a 2002 movie starring Dennis Quaid as an aging high school baseball coach who achieves his dream of pitching in the major leagues.  The other movie, Rudy, is a 1993 classic depicting the struggles of Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger (played by Sean Astin) to play football for the university of Notre Dame.  Both of these films are based on true stories.

I bet you can already see where I’m going with this.  You’d be mistaken.

Both of these characters, although from opposite ends of life experiences, had to overcome steep odds to realize their dreams.  For Jim Morrison (the actual rookie), it was the fact he was thirty-five years old and been out of baseball for many years.  For Rudy, it was both his physical limitations combined with the lack of money and grades to gain entrance to the school he idolized.

As writers, aren’t we in the same position?  Each of us faces crushing odds that tell us our chances of actually breaking into the publishing world are slim.  Yet we show up to practice every day, running the laps, doing the drills, studying the first stringers, perfecting our technique, preparing, doing everything we can to prove our readiness.  Each query letter we send out is a plea, “Put me in coach.  I know I can play!  Let me prove it to you”

Both of the men in these movies I mention ultimately realized their dream…although in dramatically different fashions.  Jim Morrison actually made it into the MLB and spent two seasons pitching for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.  Rudy played for the University of Notre Dame football team for two plays. 

In the end, the key difference between the two stories…skill.  Jim Morrison threw a 98 mph fastball (with control), Rudy was only 5’6” and weighed 165 pounds with average speed.  Rudy was immortalized for the grit and determination it took to overcome his shortcomings and simply make the roster of one of the premiere college teams in the country.  Almost as a by-product, he obtained a valuable college education and became a role model for underdogs everywhere.

I ask myself a question everyday…and I believe that same question tortures a lot of us. Which am I?  Rookie or Rudy?  Do I have the talent to make it in this industry, or am I merely demonstrating my unstoppable drive and desire.  Of course we’re all pursuing the dream of becoming the next Rookie, but what if you’re a Rudy? Would you be satisfied knowing your only accomplishment was making the players around you better?  Just brushing against your publishing dream and settling into a comfortable life on the fringe of that world…like say…a popular blogger?

What if my writing legacy turns out to be only a mention in a critique partner’s book dedication? 

Can’t worry about that now…I have a game to prepare for!  Maybe…just maybe…the coach will have noticed my potential and take a chance on me today.  I’ll be ready…whatever happens!