tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65054591137780152962024-03-05T08:59:12.777-08:00Clement CreationsA home for all of my creative creations.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger192125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6505459113778015296.post-4438844299288376842024-03-04T11:40:00.000-08:002024-03-04T11:40:03.185-08:00The beauty of the writing community<p>Yesterday I received a gift so precious and generous, I still can't believe it was real. Someone thriving in the kidlit community, a joyous, talented and kind soul, took time out of their very busy schedule to talk with me across time zones and many miles. They really listened and in doing so to gave me much needed encouragement and support.</p><p>Being heard is vital. Being heard with encouragement is life changing, especially in the world of writing, when it feels like the only voice you hear is your own, echoing after receiving rejection after rejection after rejection. </p><p>I write all kinds of picture book stories from fractured fairy tales to neurodiverse (ND) own voice pieces, there are even a couple informational fiction stories. But it is my ND pieces, specifically CROWNS that is my heart story... that I very much want out in the world for SO SO many reasons.</p><p>Yesterday, another ND writer/illustrator listened to that story. </p><p>Loved that story. </p><p>Felt that story. </p><p>Saw that story in her imagination. And when I was done she had a few things to say to me. And I think this can apply to others so I'll share.</p><p><br /></p><p>"Don't you dare give up."</p><p>"This is an important story."</p><p>"It needs to find the right home."</p><p>"Don't just get it published, have it done right, with the right people who will SUPPORT it and you."</p><p>"Rejection isn't an end." (Even though it is frustrating and heartbreaking.)</p><p>"Keep going."</p><p>"You are precious."</p><p><br /></p><p>More than once I have been told there isn't a market for "these" voices. She and I agree to disagree with that "fact."</p><p><span style="color: #ffa400;">"Don't you dare give up." "It needs to find the right home."</span></p><p>She loved the unique ND repetition of the story.</p><p><span style="color: #ffa400;">"This is an important story."</span></p><p>She was glad that I turned down an opportunity to have it published when the publisher's plans for the story did not lend to keeping it authentic.</p><p><span style="color: #ffa400;">"Don't just get it published, have it done right, with the right people who will SUPPORT it and you."</span></p><p><span style="color: #ffa400;">"Rejection isn't an end." (Even though it is frustrating and heartbreaking.)</span></p><p><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br /></span></p><p>She really listened. And across the distance of the country on a phone call she HUGGED me.</p><p><span style="color: #ffa400;">"You are precious."</span></p><p><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br /></span></p><p>Does any of this change my day today? Yes, and no. I am preparing more submissions this time for an amazing opportunity with <a href="https://www.pbrisingstars.com/mentees?ss_source=sscampaigns&ss_campaign_id=65e1cb95e0dc202bc85ab1c6&ss_email_id=65e5d07d64294c6c755fccf3&ss_campaign_name=Meet+Our+Mentors+in+THREE+MORE+SLEEPS%21&ss_campaign_sent_date=2024-03-04T13%3A45%3A49Z">PB Rising Stars</a> as I had planned. But I am doing this with a stronger heart and more conviction that being creative, that my writing needs to continue. I still don't have a contract, and that may not change any time soon, but I KNOW in the core of my being that </p><p><span style="color: #ffa400;">"This is an important story."</span></p><p>and</p><p><span style="color: #ffa400;">"Don't you dare give up."</span></p><p><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br /></span></p><p>So once again, I am in debt to my writing community for keeping me going. The hearts and souls of the people around us, even those we don't know well, are here to help us help the world be a better place for readers, young and old. This is beyond precious, and I am so SO grateful.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_7_GX2dFAHftWC9I4Sy57CRzuhMCVxAJqPCxalV3MKL4yDUcjT4oTVAuqCelhE4EUgW4sR5HAb5LCUVyKT4SSaKtW_PenM-NH8665Gd9tKavknxYkfuQ-PPAubLvgEcz38XF3Nd4p0-X71XQOvKJD3NCijn2vnVp5MhB3O-BMch1n9GkvUSmSmEVQoTMM/s4624/Mia%20Crowns%204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4624" data-original-width="3468" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_7_GX2dFAHftWC9I4Sy57CRzuhMCVxAJqPCxalV3MKL4yDUcjT4oTVAuqCelhE4EUgW4sR5HAb5LCUVyKT4SSaKtW_PenM-NH8665Gd9tKavknxYkfuQ-PPAubLvgEcz38XF3Nd4p0-X71XQOvKJD3NCijn2vnVp5MhB3O-BMch1n9GkvUSmSmEVQoTMM/w150-h200/Mia%20Crowns%204.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY9KcZm1HHelof-WbQkI87zE6HqzPflgV5iiY3ZYWYcXxucQ16VGLFTJ0ZzLJqkZqDKKThnVlQfJigHBEg0Lr-KpfK1fZop7P6eJIEQGnAEFYR_rO8R0gppj1tVMHTLazqkaaZKa9xn08VspVfuRtLA2Pcs3ZFhORQcNoF8jde_6z6PpE8CFABux5sd7-l/s4624/Mia%20Crowns%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4624" data-original-width="3468" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY9KcZm1HHelof-WbQkI87zE6HqzPflgV5iiY3ZYWYcXxucQ16VGLFTJ0ZzLJqkZqDKKThnVlQfJigHBEg0Lr-KpfK1fZop7P6eJIEQGnAEFYR_rO8R0gppj1tVMHTLazqkaaZKa9xn08VspVfuRtLA2Pcs3ZFhORQcNoF8jde_6z6PpE8CFABux5sd7-l/w240-h320/Mia%20Crowns%201.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaV-mToXSxRIMHxV7fb0uOC771vXJcgveqdSjIFMtUryi9Bo4leZEfTjBM28iiURY98phVR_tyNXfB5rRM-R_-Hcs6J_hyO3smnYzhHU_peOM8Mtr3HJ-5iOMduny0ibw8NHP7mRCtsv8ou6YDpEJ-gGKbucIfUR3EAAPWiDbZUndUC1Zz0nbkFgJMSDxa/s4624/Mia%20Crowns%205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4624" data-original-width="3468" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaV-mToXSxRIMHxV7fb0uOC771vXJcgveqdSjIFMtUryi9Bo4leZEfTjBM28iiURY98phVR_tyNXfB5rRM-R_-Hcs6J_hyO3smnYzhHU_peOM8Mtr3HJ-5iOMduny0ibw8NHP7mRCtsv8ou6YDpEJ-gGKbucIfUR3EAAPWiDbZUndUC1Zz0nbkFgJMSDxa/w150-h200/Mia%20Crowns%205.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6505459113778015296.post-87386310863893997362024-03-03T08:22:00.000-08:002024-03-03T08:22:22.335-08:0050 Precious Words, that really are precious to me<p> It's been a while... life happened over and over again... but I continued to write. Today I submitted a sweet 50 word memory to <a href="https://viviankirkfield.com/2024/03/02/the-50preciouswords-2024-international-writing-contest-is-open/#more-30900">Vivian Kirkfield's #50 Precious Word Competition. </a> </p><p>It's a really great contest, so stop by and read some entries, all 50 words or less. Mine bubbles up from the day we finalized my daughter's adoption, walking into the courthouse with lots of papers, a lawyer, and surrounded by a line of people, just as jittery as we were ready to be a family. I hope you enjoy it.</p><p><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Adoption Day<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Word count: 50<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>“Everyone, Smile!”<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">New clothes crease as six warm arms entangle,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">scrunching close giggles freeze on “three.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>CLICK.<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The judge’s kind, <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">sturdy hand extends, <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">shakes, <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">then directs us away so the next group, <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">full of hope,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">can promise—<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">and begin today,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">like us,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">on their new Forever,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">together,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">as a family.<o:p></o:p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6505459113778015296.post-27406035010384903982023-05-31T09:12:00.003-07:002023-05-31T09:12:51.680-07:00The Rejection Garden Tree/Story 22 BOO ALEXANDER WAILLOUDER III<p> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><i style="text-align: center;">The Rejection Garden is less about rejection, </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>and more about creativity, </i><i>persistence, and joy. </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Over the next month, I am going to share one Tree or Manuscript with you, not in its entirety, </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>instead, </i><i>I’ll post a synopsis, how many times it has been rejected, and then, </i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>I’ll finish with my favorite line and </i><i>include a picture of the tree and name tag.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEdRUH_5JHZHNfUO-Au1219Qmf12hZP0NykdcANwNueGUkk0Z14bI5I_qDg3vIbt7DW4cxXXZBIFwNzpvVJMsrA68AujaxzRR6on0yB0t4cif6iImx-qSLp84cPosdZbzTieNV0BGXP1DBthbVygntzGyp8JWDml2BBtv_3L_SfYOxQjOOYRxyABfpMg/s2992/Boo%20Tag.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2992" data-original-width="2992" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEdRUH_5JHZHNfUO-Au1219Qmf12hZP0NykdcANwNueGUkk0Z14bI5I_qDg3vIbt7DW4cxXXZBIFwNzpvVJMsrA68AujaxzRR6on0yB0t4cif6iImx-qSLp84cPosdZbzTieNV0BGXP1DBthbVygntzGyp8JWDml2BBtv_3L_SfYOxQjOOYRxyABfpMg/s320/Boo%20Tag.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>2 Submissions, 2 rejections</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Pitch: </b>A trip to his "Ghoul" library brings a new discovery- Humans and Other Scary Creatures- and it might just save Boo Alexander Waillouder III from another boring parade of paisley or polka-dotted Halloween costumes. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Favorite Line:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;">"Deflated Boo floated away grumbling. Searching through stacks and growling
through rows of boring Ghost Stories, Boo made a delightful discovery, <i>Humans and Other Scary Creatures!" </i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><i><br /></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio9w5Ahh9Jkxt1ojtVyfGZyzpydV7TkMAw8-_gb7BXIRVVeSBEt5jDsRgjM_2Y1Jd20uRpyQsd16yfgrQpxX0tlFcB8kZqn83yUk_IDsHQN8j2G1lFcidBR8rcrQuWCJa36rKUikY2EwpqeSQV08luPi1gEc0FA1b3IexEweVJAIiD7wPatGakkONLsg/s2992/Boo%20Tree.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2992" data-original-width="2992" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio9w5Ahh9Jkxt1ojtVyfGZyzpydV7TkMAw8-_gb7BXIRVVeSBEt5jDsRgjM_2Y1Jd20uRpyQsd16yfgrQpxX0tlFcB8kZqn83yUk_IDsHQN8j2G1lFcidBR8rcrQuWCJa36rKUikY2EwpqeSQV08luPi1gEc0FA1b3IexEweVJAIiD7wPatGakkONLsg/s320/Boo%20Tree.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Yup, another Japanese Maple. </b></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6505459113778015296.post-62599691260927457472023-05-30T12:57:00.000-07:002023-05-30T12:57:19.736-07:00The Rejection Garden Tree/Story 21 TORNADO<p style="text-align: center;"> <span style="text-align: center;"> </span><i style="text-align: center;">The Rejection Garden is less about rejection, </i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i style="text-align: center;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>and more about creativity, </i><i style="text-align: center;">persistence, and joy. </i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i style="text-align: center;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Over the next month, </i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i style="text-align: center;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>I am going to share one Tree or Manuscript with you, not in its entirety, </i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i style="text-align: center;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>instead, </i><i style="text-align: center;">I’ll post a synopsis, how many times it has been rejected, and then, </i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i style="text-align: center;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>I’ll finish with my favorite line and </i><i style="text-align: center;">include a picture of the tree and name tag.</i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i style="text-align: center;"><br /></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>"Your art is your win." @PBRisingStars</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRLYM9OZ92j6HJ5qm0XDP4KUEhug-mB1Im4ooZglE65KcFIGkpLSFnjg3pfIcPKxjFLNK6-tvXINTmIkXJP2ql8TWS__hPp77VxQRRmsKkR6JzXiedKopENI5cyz2fmBkBBTrW-uUmu-Dt_7TC18P9vQkVIgIhv6WHS_tZnYNAi_M5VkUKzZnb5gGcMg/s3456/Tornado%20tag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRLYM9OZ92j6HJ5qm0XDP4KUEhug-mB1Im4ooZglE65KcFIGkpLSFnjg3pfIcPKxjFLNK6-tvXINTmIkXJP2ql8TWS__hPp77VxQRRmsKkR6JzXiedKopENI5cyz2fmBkBBTrW-uUmu-Dt_7TC18P9vQkVIgIhv6WHS_tZnYNAi_M5VkUKzZnb5gGcMg/s320/Tornado%20tag.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>2 submissions, 2 rejections</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></p><p style="text-align: left;">Hook: One promise. One goal-to have fun. This promise healed Paul Elvstrom, a four-time Olympian, and strengthened his bond with his daughter Trine. One joyous, fast-paced adventure for both sailors and, the world, as they charted a new course into the record books.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">This is a lyrical, adrenaline-pumping, joyous ride over the ocean during a race. I enjoy many lines from this story. This is one.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">"Windbreakers rippled.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Paul and Trine's wide smiles, </p><p style="text-align: center;">painted in sea salt bloomed as they attacked the course in unison,</p><p style="text-align: center;">their bodies outstretched like wings off the hull."</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikT8JsQZ0MkyLreCw1H2-Xf4GWNL30sTBPCsTE_7Yp79m5dNZO6hcazwzhyQNDPjxHQFSmPpLM-9eIJCiyCVS4cBdQ9ToZrj2S73WzTlLl_T-qsQWlCuzFXofIeJByhyaE2f2yg-keYsXRydUIOvpYl3kKI3WHbZVpMw937anJf1hfhd71j-T2hxKlig/s2992/Tornado%20tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2992" data-original-width="2992" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikT8JsQZ0MkyLreCw1H2-Xf4GWNL30sTBPCsTE_7Yp79m5dNZO6hcazwzhyQNDPjxHQFSmPpLM-9eIJCiyCVS4cBdQ9ToZrj2S73WzTlLl_T-qsQWlCuzFXofIeJByhyaE2f2yg-keYsXRydUIOvpYl3kKI3WHbZVpMw937anJf1hfhd71j-T2hxKlig/s320/Tornado%20tree.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;">(DOGWOOD)</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6505459113778015296.post-27766843892953476602023-05-26T14:34:00.001-07:002023-05-26T14:34:16.225-07:00#RejectionGarden The UP's and the Down's and Hope, little or big<p style="text-align: center;"> <i style="text-align: center;">The Rejection Garden is less about rejection, </i><a class="css-4rbku5 css-18t94o4 css-1dbjc4n r-1loqt21 r-1wbh5a2 r-dnmrzs r-1ny4l3l" href="https://twitter.com/davidmcmullinpb" role="link" style="-webkit-box-align: stretch; -webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; align-items: stretch; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline !important; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: column; flex-shrink: 1; font: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; outline-style: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; z-index: 0;"></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>and more about creativity, </i><i>persistence, and joy. </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Over the next month, I am going to share one Tree or Manuscript with you, not in its entirety, </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>instead, </i><i>I’ll post a synopsis, how many times it has been rejected, and then, </i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>I’ll finish with my favorite line and </i><i>include a picture of the tree and name tag.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span> </span>So, yesterday I was chewing my nails off because I had applied to PB Rising Stars <a href="https://www.pbrisingstars.com/">mentorship program</a>, and yesterday the winners were announced. I had spent days and many hours researching and then answering questions, and picking out the RIGHT manuscript to apply with. Then weeks before the announcement I received an email stating one of the mentors was interested, but wanted to read more work (so I sent 3 other manuscripts).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span> </span>When I got that email, HOPE, yes in all caps, exploded into my life. MAYBE, just MAYBE, I would get a mentor. Someone to help support me in this crazy business, someone to root for me, tell me where I was going wrong, and ask me pointed questions. MAYBE...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span> </span>But as the names were listed, none of which were mine, I realized it just not going to happen and, as you can imagine, I was CRUSHED, like many thousands of others. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span> </span>Rejected again. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span> All I wanted to do</span> was curl up in a ball and ignore the rest of the day, but the day wasn't going to ignore me. Instead of a mentorship, or a runner-up place, I unexpectedly received an Honorable Mention.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRKhCbxlItsXie_Xs1Ca7YxVYfwwC2buFBq3icLCIhxFqMdsT04VXQYJIX9gewgmY8PaPAml1sPDBDEyRskQzkEZAmeLUnKyesZEI8_ehX1OpB3bMN8S8ImvseAcqF345eB891PtTgSonKGFwcmcPq_HSop9yeq3ePXVnYoZ1HjTyDFhM2TUcXuPT4vw/s1080/2023%20Honorable%20Mention%20Badge.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRKhCbxlItsXie_Xs1Ca7YxVYfwwC2buFBq3icLCIhxFqMdsT04VXQYJIX9gewgmY8PaPAml1sPDBDEyRskQzkEZAmeLUnKyesZEI8_ehX1OpB3bMN8S8ImvseAcqF345eB891PtTgSonKGFwcmcPq_HSop9yeq3ePXVnYoZ1HjTyDFhM2TUcXuPT4vw/s320/2023%20Honorable%20Mention%20Badge.png" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span> </span>Perspective is a rough and tough thing to have when in a moment of rejection. Perspective- MANY THOUSANDS of BRILLIANT writers applied for one of these mentorships... talented, fabulous, creative writers (my critique partners, who constantly amaze me, included).</div><div><br /></div><div><span> </span>Perspective, I received an Honorable Mention, only a handful did. </div><div><br /></div><div><span> </span>So, after licking my wounds, it was time to celebrate and remember really, </div><div>writing is my win. </div><div><span> </span>Creating is my win. </div><div><br /></div><div><span> </span>Everything else is, just everything else.</div><div><br /></div><div><span> </span>Then, something really REALLY special happened. I opened up my twitter account and read something, that in this business is akin to a year worth of survival food... something that will help me push forward. No, it wasn't an offer for mentorship, it was encouragement, honest, and freely offered.</div><div><br /></div><div><span> Hope, little or big is something that feeds us. One hope was dashed but then was soon replaced.</span><br /></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><span> Kind words are beyond powerful. They feed the soul, the creative, they feed hope. Writing without hope isn't alive. So, Thank you </span></span><a href="https://twitter.com/ebonylynnmudd" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #f6eeea; background-image: unset; background-origin: initial; background-position: unset; background-repeat: unset; background-size: unset; cursor: pointer; font-family: Poppins; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration-thickness: 1px; text-underline-offset: 0.2em; white-space: initial;" tabindex="0" target="_blank">@ebonylynnmudd</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/kaileipew" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #f6eeea; background-image: unset; background-origin: initial; background-position: unset; background-repeat: unset; background-size: unset; cursor: pointer; font-family: Poppins; font-size: 16px; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration-thickness: 1px; text-underline-offset: 0.2em; white-space: initial;" tabindex="0" target="_blank">@kaileipew</a>, and all of the mentors for all of your time and energy, and willingness to give hope to thousands of writers. It is much appreciated. And Thank you <a href="@davidmcmullinpb"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #f6eeea; background-image: unset; background-origin: initial; background-position: unset; background-repeat: unset; background-size: unset; cursor: pointer; font-family: Poppins; font-size: 14.3584px; font-weight: 700; outline: 0px; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration-thickness: 1px; text-underline-offset: 0.2em; white-space: initial;">@davidmcmullinpb</span> </a> for reaching out and saying this: </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">"Laura! You were my HM choice. </div><div style="text-align: center;">I adore everything about you-your ideas,</div><div style="text-align: center;">your writing,</div><div style="text-align: center;">and who you are as a person-</div><div style="text-align: center;">I hope you find the meeting with Kailei and Ebony useful! </div><div style="text-align: center;">All the best!"</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> David, Kailei, and Ebony, I needed this. And I THANK YOU, I really do. That encouragement will keep me going for a while. </span><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span> In fact, I wrote something new today. So ONWARD!</span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div class="css-1dbjc4n" style="-webkit-box-align: stretch; -webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; align-items: stretch; background-color: white; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: column; flex-shrink: 0; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="css-1dbjc4n" style="-webkit-box-align: stretch; -webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; align-items: stretch; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: column; flex-shrink: 0; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="css-1dbjc4n r-1s2bzr4" style="-webkit-box-align: stretch; -webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; align-items: stretch; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: column; flex-shrink: 0; margin: 12px 0px 0px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="css-901oao r-18jsvk2 r-37j5jr r-1inkyih r-16dba41 r-135wba7 r-bcqeeo r-bnwqim r-qvutc0" data-testid="tweetText" dir="auto" id="id__ekyx7a0cm14" lang="en" style="border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1419; display: inline; font-family: TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></div></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6505459113778015296.post-63530301199663466362023-05-25T13:07:00.000-07:002023-05-25T13:07:17.226-07:00The Rejection Garden Tree/Story 20 Bean in the Box <p style="text-align: center;"> <i style="text-align: center;">The Rejection Garden is less about rejection, </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>and more about creativity, </i><i>persistence, and joy. </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Over the next month, I am going to share one Tree or Manuscript with you, not in its entirety, </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>instead, </i><i>I’ll post a synopsis, how many times it has been rejected, and then, </i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>I’ll finish with my favorite line and </i><i>include a picture of the tree and name tag.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b>"On a bright and beautiful day, surrounded by a lovely life, </b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b>and maybe even with a win under your belt, </b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b>rejection can, </b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b>and will try to darken your shine. </b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><br /></b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b>Today was such a day for me.</b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><br /></b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b>Instead of curling up in a ball (always an option), </b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b>I am here, writing. </b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><br /></b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b>Choose yourself. </b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b>Choose to create. </b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b>If you choose to be a ball, </b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b>choose to unfurl yourself </b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b>and move forward sooner, than later."</b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b>-Laura N. Clement</b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><br /></b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><br /></b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6QwCP6gGk-h92A_T3jsyqHkbc7HOiQJqIyANgdQoAmTRjEiI5_-EgZSD7PzJk_bZpkTfIcCN3x1ac3e9ru4hWav5w_PmEFe7pptQVH2pBffVa6zljwtVWC6ve-XUAi2WyBUe4zfbZ9nCrBHjw4J1hG21ZEvyIBOr-xZCZEvGqM5zWscKCIvOlvXz2Vg/s2992/Bean%20in%20a%20Box%20tag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2992" data-original-width="2992" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6QwCP6gGk-h92A_T3jsyqHkbc7HOiQJqIyANgdQoAmTRjEiI5_-EgZSD7PzJk_bZpkTfIcCN3x1ac3e9ru4hWav5w_PmEFe7pptQVH2pBffVa6zljwtVWC6ve-XUAi2WyBUe4zfbZ9nCrBHjw4J1hG21ZEvyIBOr-xZCZEvGqM5zWscKCIvOlvXz2Vg/s320/Bean%20in%20a%20Box%20tag.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>2 submissions, 2 rejections</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This story started out simply as a fun writing exercise for a Twitter, 100 words or less contest. I did not win. I don't even think it got an honorable mention, but it was FUN to write. Recently I submitted it to a publisher looking for creepy halloweenie pieces. That's fine. The story was fun, as most of the time writing and simply having time to be creative is fun. Plus, naming a tree The Bean In The Box, was amusing to me.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Favorite line EH, who cares? I am posting the whole thing, it was less than 100 words. I mean, why not, LOL.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;">THE
BOX AND THE BEAN<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;">First in line this year and, Bea was scared.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;">She must be brave, show no fear, everyone was
watching.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;">IT, was just a box, plane and black… possibly even
empty. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;">“No liquid potions. No tarantulas (rules forbade it).”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;">Blindfold on. Bea hoped that it wouldn’t… bite. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;">Last year’s ooey, gooey “Mystery Trickery Box” had
been fun, messy but harmless. But this year…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;">Bea moved her fingertips through the opening. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;">Harmless cotton cobwebs, slimy peeled grapes, messy
pasta… she hoped.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;">It was small, smooth…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;">Gulp…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;">And, moving! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;">EwwwwWWW…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;">And done! No bites or mess… <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;">Now, to plot next year’s revenge.<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4XS76CBcj1lp9WR1dicdTy-E7Gv_d50gAP5dpeyWPUqZqjxJauVBVhVo6abSpiw28NVl2maOujuOsZmqPC6Ri3boJtjN2_Fnnviw-zUmS5g4_HHh6KZdGTsU90E9VZpWGtRou0HTCbuiZ_fER7AjkhNxDpboaHYn0idCQGU29DBn5Vr7kS6Anr4WKTg/s2992/Bean%20in%20a%20Box%20Tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2992" data-original-width="2992" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4XS76CBcj1lp9WR1dicdTy-E7Gv_d50gAP5dpeyWPUqZqjxJauVBVhVo6abSpiw28NVl2maOujuOsZmqPC6Ri3boJtjN2_Fnnviw-zUmS5g4_HHh6KZdGTsU90E9VZpWGtRou0HTCbuiZ_fER7AjkhNxDpboaHYn0idCQGU29DBn5Vr7kS6Anr4WKTg/s320/Bean%20in%20a%20Box%20Tree.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><b style="font-style: italic;"><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><br /></b></i></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6505459113778015296.post-73889010389402594272023-05-24T09:29:00.003-07:002023-05-24T09:29:37.198-07:00The Rejection Garden Tree/Story 19 DRAGON MOUNTAIN<p style="text-align: center;"><i>The Rejection Garden is less about rejection, </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>and more about creativity, </i><i>persistence, and joy. </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Over the next month, I am going to share one Tree or Manuscript with you, not in its entirety, </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>instead, </i><i>I’ll post a synopsis, how many times it has been rejected, and then, </i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>I’ll finish with my favorite line and </i><i>include a picture of the tree and name tag.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>"Rejected pieces aren't failures; unwritten pieces are." </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>-Greg Daugherty</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPcrm40wEOUJtnu7k5shr7AvGGNk0IhN8LqawhZt-RUNB9xYt6uHCHDbxghe_XUXl9Yy6WYvY8pekucZ2hYtjJbqB_hVMnUq1KSfGKVVU77iqxcIs2f3A1q2-oVsSre0jlAbLwsvqOVhtvswy8GB8yh9InxgtecXtzLfc1XNSjG26eAcLHGyKFqPiqZw/s2992/20230513_112449.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2992" data-original-width="2992" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPcrm40wEOUJtnu7k5shr7AvGGNk0IhN8LqawhZt-RUNB9xYt6uHCHDbxghe_XUXl9Yy6WYvY8pekucZ2hYtjJbqB_hVMnUq1KSfGKVVU77iqxcIs2f3A1q2-oVsSre0jlAbLwsvqOVhtvswy8GB8yh9InxgtecXtzLfc1XNSjG26eAcLHGyKFqPiqZw/s320/20230513_112449.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>4 submissions (2015), 4 rejections (new version never submitted)</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span> </span>Growing up in Alaska, surrounded by the all-impressive presence of NATURE, yes, in all CAPS, was inspiring and daunting. But as a child with an overactive visual imagination... I saw so many cool things (whether they were actually <i>there </i>or not), one of these things- Dragons. I saw them everywhere, in the hills, the mountains, hiding inside forests. So, one day I wrote a story about it from the POV of a sleepy child in a car, traveling into the night, with the light fading and mountains passing by the window. In a wink, she sees what the mountain really is, a sleeping dragon.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Favorite line: The first page really brings the reader in with its lyrical tone and warmth. I adore it but I also adore a reply.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>"</b><b>Cozy, </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>I dream, </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>tucked under velvet night</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>as the hum of wheels rolling
over pavement muffle the miles</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>that swoop and sway us toward our home."</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>And the reply?</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>"I see it too," Daddy says, his eyes in a wink of s smile reflecting back at me in the mirror."</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHmomW_MMolzn-Cigna5OBkEPEfJEoA81mau5vXGBWQSjgMzNix7CQswrYCCdTfMQAHKL1y5UVys1wr_NeLy9y79fuI04c7HGjJ1uRBSTM3SdJgY34dZz93zkEIDmrtzduu0CcScldFgOC9-XvWJNSbCufjQwI4Q_vt5r-hfUY1VtcrAzxuN_q0VeXdw/s2992/20230513_112453.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2992" data-original-width="2992" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHmomW_MMolzn-Cigna5OBkEPEfJEoA81mau5vXGBWQSjgMzNix7CQswrYCCdTfMQAHKL1y5UVys1wr_NeLy9y79fuI04c7HGjJ1uRBSTM3SdJgY34dZz93zkEIDmrtzduu0CcScldFgOC9-XvWJNSbCufjQwI4Q_vt5r-hfUY1VtcrAzxuN_q0VeXdw/s320/20230513_112453.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <span> </span>I have not given up on this piece, it has a humm, a magical rhythm to it that feels like home to me, so maybe someday I will rework it, again, and send it out, again.<p></p><p><span> </span>This is the second the last #rejectiongarden tree... But, as you, kind reader, know by now it won't be THE LAST. Just a momentary pause as I order more tags, plant more trees and write more stories. One more to go. Until tomorrow. </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6505459113778015296.post-40520730862191951972023-05-23T09:23:00.000-07:002023-05-23T09:23:00.771-07:00The Rejection Garden Tree/Story 18<p style="text-align: center;"> <i style="text-align: center;">The Rejection Garden is less about rejection, </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>and more about creativity, </i><i>persistence, and joy. </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Over the next month, I am going to share one Tree or Manuscript with you, not in its entirety, </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>instead, </i><i>I’ll post a synopsis, how many times it has been rejected, and then, </i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>I’ll finish with my favorite line and </i><i>include a picture of the tree and name tag.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>"I tell writers to keep reading, reading, reading. Read widely and deeply. And I tell them not to give up even after getting rejection letters. And only write what you love."</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>-Anita Diamant</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuKgFkDPJwx85OQk5f9N7uLJoMJ2WnNS8_YxYHU7QiKOE56LV5_pSc7rXer-OsAoMa8rdcKqFdyK8pJ148RRlGdOHJj1G2hq-2W6fmmYCnO-uoy2vSkBI5iKzBrszPCs14n1rUCnFPCVlKyXJnc287BMxHWwd0pGVQJCTWTdcY7n5HNL-qao39OBmp1A/s3456/20230513_112406.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuKgFkDPJwx85OQk5f9N7uLJoMJ2WnNS8_YxYHU7QiKOE56LV5_pSc7rXer-OsAoMa8rdcKqFdyK8pJ148RRlGdOHJj1G2hq-2W6fmmYCnO-uoy2vSkBI5iKzBrszPCs14n1rUCnFPCVlKyXJnc287BMxHWwd0pGVQJCTWTdcY7n5HNL-qao39OBmp1A/s320/20230513_112406.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>And older manuscript, 8 submissions since 2014, 8 rejections</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Pitch: </b>When a letter arrives just for him, Zorg is excited until he opens it and discovers a very real, very serious warning, "Beware the Tickle Raider." As things go BUMPity THUMP around him, Zorg must calm his fears while he detects and searches to unmask the Tickle Raider. Space-themed, family-oriented fun, full of onomatopoeia <span style="color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">silliness.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Favorite line: </b> It's not a line, it is an onomatopoeia- SPLOOOOOPITY SPLAT! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Written originally for my nephew who was fearful of all things unexpected, this is a fun manuscript, and who knows, maybe someday it'll get a major overhaul and I start sending it out again, maybe.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIDQWef8dSwBk9WbFnd_mnXdKUm0ruv9d2eBo3OzMxF1LYdABR3HFkmxX7Yt0dYZ6xO0oCqubQsWv1JVrnMFiWe2FOkCD4XDZ7bV1T6Z-4DNoEyU2YiB3dGe-Xg7Pju20-9kTdUn8cbGQy9BL5cdEsPNJxWhxaGzXqbSBQUaQ02n1iyqouT-G9z71kXg/s3456/20230513_112355.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIDQWef8dSwBk9WbFnd_mnXdKUm0ruv9d2eBo3OzMxF1LYdABR3HFkmxX7Yt0dYZ6xO0oCqubQsWv1JVrnMFiWe2FOkCD4XDZ7bV1T6Z-4DNoEyU2YiB3dGe-Xg7Pju20-9kTdUn8cbGQy9BL5cdEsPNJxWhxaGzXqbSBQUaQ02n1iyqouT-G9z71kXg/s320/20230513_112355.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As much fun, as it has been fun to do these rejection posts and highlight my #rejectiongarden, I am almost finished. I have been writing and submitting things for over 10 years now. I have hundreds of manuscripts/stories in various states of being, but only a handful ever make it to the "hit send button" stage. Plus, I am almost out of planted Japanese maples (shocked, I'm sure). But will this be the end of my Rejection Garden? No. I keep planting. I keep watching things grow because, I am a "Creative," and rejection will always be in my life. As long as I have ways to help me into the "move on, next" phase, I am sure I will persist because I am never short on stories or snippets of ideas. Never.</div><br /><i><br /></i></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6505459113778015296.post-75453869436156982052023-05-22T09:36:00.006-07:002023-05-22T09:39:23.717-07:00The Rejection Garden Tree/Story 17 "Q"<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The Rejection Garden is less about rejection, </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>and more about creativity, </i><i>persistence, and joy. </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Over the next month, I am going to share one Tree or Manuscript with you, not in its entirety, </i><i>instead, </i><i>I’ll post a synopsis, how many times it has been rejected, and then, </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>I’ll finish with my favorite line and </i><i>include a picture of the tree and name tag.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>"I discovered that rejections are not altogether a bad thing. They teach a writer to rely on (their) own judgment and say in (their) heart of hearts, 'To hell with you.'"</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b> -Saul Bellow</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidX7xzaGVbKFSgpABfAMy023s5eCdWa-0tWGR5ugEtMW52iL9kYFcqaKT7n0FzSCeCaG4s03aFnFoYMrCrKlw61VoBVUvtJooX5ZwS8KhqPAgJR_w1TG9cwo_7o6iCGB8Y2nb1T2Zy2lyWuLhHxwqzXhp0olXYTnhQTZW70PnQvLgVrhhL-dLk6SP5aA/s3456/20230513_112416.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidX7xzaGVbKFSgpABfAMy023s5eCdWa-0tWGR5ugEtMW52iL9kYFcqaKT7n0FzSCeCaG4s03aFnFoYMrCrKlw61VoBVUvtJooX5ZwS8KhqPAgJR_w1TG9cwo_7o6iCGB8Y2nb1T2Zy2lyWuLhHxwqzXhp0olXYTnhQTZW70PnQvLgVrhhL-dLk6SP5aA/s320/20230513_112416.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>3 submissions, 2 rejections, and 1 contract (I walked away from).</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sorry for my shoe in the picture. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> Long before "I am Groot." I wrote a story about a child with a speech delay, called Q. In it, she speaks by simply repeating the letter "Q" to everything until she meets a new friend at school. It was my second manuscript to land a contract. But, as things like to do in the publishing business, the plan went sideways, first the illustrator had to drop the project. Then the replacement illustrator had to be fired (very long and painful story), and that's when I decided that "Q" wasn't ready for the world. Maybe someday I will revisit and resubmit it, but for now, she rests, like her tree, slowly growing and simply being in the world.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span> Raising a child with a speech delay has given me so many new viewpoints and insights so it was with great love I created this character, Suzi "Q". One of my favorite spreads in the book is:</span><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><b>"Q was the first letter Suzi understood. She loved everything about it and insisted on using it for everything.</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><b>[Mom] <span> </span>"S-u-z-i, come help me make cookies!"</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><b>[Suzi] <span> </span><span> <span> </span></span>"Q!"</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><b>[Dad] <span> </span><span> </span>"Hey Suzi, let's go play in the park!"</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><b>[Suzi] <span> </span>"Q!"</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><b>[George the dog] "AwwwwoooWooWoo!"</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><b>[Suzi]<span> </span><span> </span> "Aaaaa Q! Q! Q!"</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCFZJEl252r3G6vXe55hX4DlpoZGEiUbV6aWlem5e0vBiEiUnc-Dneorkk-AFm061Mveban_ZFCbF9dR4VruaVbTigckFtKY4xMRqEZFcTRwELe6_phOxwvlPRC_ttEZ-zbvJcpIc0VNU4qloPc8quvGFvGyrlw0k1j6ei057A0NVrRma4pcp4DrzWDw/s2992/20230513_112435.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2992" data-original-width="2992" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCFZJEl252r3G6vXe55hX4DlpoZGEiUbV6aWlem5e0vBiEiUnc-Dneorkk-AFm061Mveban_ZFCbF9dR4VruaVbTigckFtKY4xMRqEZFcTRwELe6_phOxwvlPRC_ttEZ-zbvJcpIc0VNU4qloPc8quvGFvGyrlw0k1j6ei057A0NVrRma4pcp4DrzWDw/s320/20230513_112435.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span> Am I sad this book never got published? Yes, and No. There were too many times things fell apart in making this book a reality. Something about it, timing, readiness, the world, was not right. I still adore this character (possibly because she is based on my own child, whom I adore), so maybe someday I will get her back out into the world, but No. I am not upset anymore about her not being in print under that first contract. In a way, I rejected this manuscript myself, knowing somewhere down deep, it wasn't ready. So, Saul Bellow, I did trust my own judgment, in the end.</span><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></p></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> <p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6505459113778015296.post-61922483825277684482023-05-19T10:03:00.004-07:002023-05-19T10:04:19.613-07:00The Rejection Garden Tree/Story 16 DON"T SCARE THE SKUNK!<p> <i style="text-align: center;">The Rejection Garden is less about rejection and more about creativity, persistence, and joy. </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Over the next month, I am going to share one Tree or Manuscript with you, not in its entirety, instead, </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>I’ll post a synopsis, how many times it has been rejected, and then, </i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>I’ll finish with my favorite line and </i><i>include a picture of the tree and name tag.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>"I love my rejection slips. They show me I try." - Sylvia Plath</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2pozOHfoO2s6M1HD08wsUu1K-6wEjcZltCRbJvVWjF78eAcl9xMBzjIT1UGE4fOzGmaJrEfrs4ie2Ba9tHXjBPmYSTlWULiUrlo0NSc-d55yAwZ9onMdHY27hb5mufbGq27qpq6TiDVUPs524EDrpl2QHpr0AK-f9Kj6Aghdo27cMHiq7PRkubOyI-A/s2992/Don't%20Scare%20the%20Skunk%20tag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2992" data-original-width="2992" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2pozOHfoO2s6M1HD08wsUu1K-6wEjcZltCRbJvVWjF78eAcl9xMBzjIT1UGE4fOzGmaJrEfrs4ie2Ba9tHXjBPmYSTlWULiUrlo0NSc-d55yAwZ9onMdHY27hb5mufbGq27qpq6TiDVUPs524EDrpl2QHpr0AK-f9Kj6Aghdo27cMHiq7PRkubOyI-A/s320/Don't%20Scare%20the%20Skunk%20tag.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>1 submission, 1 rejection</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Pitch: Monsters aren't always scary, mean, or ugly, in fact, the one living in <i>this </i>forest likes to bake, and <i>that</i> is the problem.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Favorite line: The ending, it's a fun reveal.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">"There still lives a monster in this forest, a cruncher, and muncher that hides in the shadows. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">But no one fears her, or her new friend just as long as they followed one simple rule…"</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9X9MW44sNxAJW3vJQ9U8Ac_NYwNbIJpGBmXFDDUy_5zgK8LqpGV4gE7TYfNwrCsz7oZpryUzFQc3LijJeSEWchFEp_lLjGhfR1j6Qk0nHcwcsuXzVrAaLW2dXcprhWE5OzmiDTL0pMzzqVSwKry8ZQv5vhdthXQTDpIAKK9dD1S128KTTBnHp3P0BGQ/s2992/Don't%20Scare%20the%20Skunk%20tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2992" data-original-width="2992" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9X9MW44sNxAJW3vJQ9U8Ac_NYwNbIJpGBmXFDDUy_5zgK8LqpGV4gE7TYfNwrCsz7oZpryUzFQc3LijJeSEWchFEp_lLjGhfR1j6Qk0nHcwcsuXzVrAaLW2dXcprhWE5OzmiDTL0pMzzqVSwKry8ZQv5vhdthXQTDpIAKK9dD1S128KTTBnHp3P0BGQ/s320/Don't%20Scare%20the%20Skunk%20tree.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The funny thing about doing this blog and this post and reading through these manuscripts is that I discover just HOW MUCH a piece needs reworking and since it is a couple years old, I am ready to tackle it anew! </div><i><br /></i></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6505459113778015296.post-62378141557217962192023-05-18T12:08:00.002-07:002023-05-18T12:08:48.128-07:00The Rejection Garden Tree/Story 15 DUCK, DUCK, FROG<p> <i style="text-align: center;">The Rejection Garden is less about rejection and more about creativity, persistence, and joy. </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Over the next month, I am going to share one Tree or Manuscript with you, not in its entirety, instead, </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>I’ll post a synopsis, how many times it has been rejected, and then, </i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>I’ll finish with my favorite line and </i><i>include a picture of the tree and name tag.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>"Was I bitter? Absolutely. Hurt? You bet your sweet ass I was hurt. </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Who doesn’t feel a part of
their heartbreak at rejection? </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>You ask yourself every question you can think of, </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>what, </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>why, </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>how
come, </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>and then your sadness turns to anger. </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>That’s my favorite part. </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>It drives me, feeds me,
and makes one hell of a story.” </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>-Jennifer Salaiz </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbVtRl1tOH346tzc7Qk0ZyP5py7CRCXqXtvuJP_YWBj9wEC-h-wapv1HzG0Oz9jWH7icKlGk7Inhxi_vlHPfJdOSAtJ3mQLxOHrBBRvMigl3Wql0auk6ItGquvuaNdDiRhbgSIz92ejBTUp_8an3GDaQsVi4v5mcxfIJhAFBUj5f2XJDZTZu4HDRDzhw/s2992/Duck%20Duck%20Frog%20Tag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2992" data-original-width="2992" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbVtRl1tOH346tzc7Qk0ZyP5py7CRCXqXtvuJP_YWBj9wEC-h-wapv1HzG0Oz9jWH7icKlGk7Inhxi_vlHPfJdOSAtJ3mQLxOHrBBRvMigl3Wql0auk6ItGquvuaNdDiRhbgSIz92ejBTUp_8an3GDaQsVi4v5mcxfIJhAFBUj5f2XJDZTZu4HDRDzhw/s320/Duck%20Duck%20Frog%20Tag.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>10 submissions, 10 rejections</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A really fun POV from that of a rubber bath toy, playing out the consequences of humanity on the vast, wild ocean.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The word of the day in this story, GYRE- a large system of rotating ocean currents.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The theme(s) of the story- hope, perseverance, friendship, exploration.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Pitch: <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;">An unfortunate adventure unfolds for three
bath toy friends after a catastrophic storm capsizes a container ship. Soon
separated Duck, Duck & Frog find themselves in a historic whale of a tale
illuminating the power of the ocean, humanity, friendship & perseverance.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;">Favorite Line: <b> </b><b>"</b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;"><b>I
am cozy.</b></span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 200%;"><b>Never stuck,<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 200%;"><b>or cold.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 200%;"><b>Never lost,<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 200%;"><b>or alone. <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 200%;"><b>And with bubbles, swimming with sharks…<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 200%;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">…is fun."</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBXcmIx0Kddh31SOH2kUaAAWEmR7D0tzQeI8_FrHWoxXCyQlBhFYz_UCASsxJBsBBvj5PJRiBAzpQC9hA-fz-tdt8jdRX4txkhs5Nl4FkQAqh9Hrj3_iUsMEPleU9h-3AQXi93tFwMJTuiynz43hTxSiVI1p08CcMPKblMzzasSw9b9TrLEFWoOYWYyA/s2992/Duck%20Duck%20Frog%20Tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2992" data-original-width="2992" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBXcmIx0Kddh31SOH2kUaAAWEmR7D0tzQeI8_FrHWoxXCyQlBhFYz_UCASsxJBsBBvj5PJRiBAzpQC9hA-fz-tdt8jdRX4txkhs5Nl4FkQAqh9Hrj3_iUsMEPleU9h-3AQXi93tFwMJTuiynz43hTxSiVI1p08CcMPKblMzzasSw9b9TrLEFWoOYWYyA/s320/Duck%20Duck%20Frog%20Tree.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">An update on the current state of rejection. Just yesterday I received yet another, "Beautiful story, but it's a NO for us," for my manuscript CROWNS. Onward. </div><br /><i><br /></i></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6505459113778015296.post-38090530595406103852023-05-17T07:31:00.000-07:002023-05-17T07:31:21.501-07:00The Rejection Garden Tree/Story 14 TINY HOUSE<p> <i style="text-align: center;">The Rejection Garden is less about rejection and more about creativity, persistence, and joy. </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Over the next month, I am going to share one Tree or Manuscript with you, not in its entirety, instead, </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>I’ll post a synopsis, how many times it has been rejected, and then, </i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>I’ll finish with my favorite line and </i><i>include a picture of the tree and name tag.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i>"This manuscript of yours that has just come back from another editor is a precious package. Don't consider it rejected. Consider that you've addressed it 'to the editor who can appreciate my work' and it has simply come back stamped 'Not at this address'. Just keep looking for the right address."</i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i>-Barbara Kingsolver</i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYwQGyyVRGvd8vCzlv-Y4cY8PNXHptrF3V-tT1DHfarFhbXywgYtn8-i5Vh9wDEkGJCl_Ws2g6yv6VUxNJ6pQT2aKTsnmJACyg-9xKn-wAYMR2A7RcL_9Xc9CiFUt2petXJzKa6HkVuA4U8jjobqby0v-4F1cqoj-wYiR9roMyfEzxe0OTpMTU_HjDIA/s2992/Tiny%20House%20tag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2992" data-original-width="2992" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYwQGyyVRGvd8vCzlv-Y4cY8PNXHptrF3V-tT1DHfarFhbXywgYtn8-i5Vh9wDEkGJCl_Ws2g6yv6VUxNJ6pQT2aKTsnmJACyg-9xKn-wAYMR2A7RcL_9Xc9CiFUt2petXJzKa6HkVuA4U8jjobqby0v-4F1cqoj-wYiR9roMyfEzxe0OTpMTU_HjDIA/s320/Tiny%20House%20tag.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>4 submissions, 3 rejections</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Hook: Highlights muti-generational living/family, sustainability/recycling, and a shared love of birds with lyrical language.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Favorite line (page): </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>"Sitting watching birds together,</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>gliding-gliding,</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>back and forth,</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>was the best of every day.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>We searched for flits of colors,</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>and strained to hear -</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b> <i>Twitter. Twitter. Tweets, and hhhhhhhhmmmmm's</i><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><b><br /></b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>There were lots of comings and goings,</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>but never stays.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Until an idea, like an egg-craked open."</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">As for THIS tree? I have been WAITING to take its picture. It's a beautiful ginkgo. I LOVE the shape of ginkgo leaves. This plant which someday I will actually plant in the backyard, but not yet, it's happy where it is.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"> </span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJme9LQcqOuoMQ9HbwF0542KnLkIzBRJGjceWZ5QMdd4a5ghYrOlN7JMKp-zaC7AbznR8_ZVWvTSHNjhW2ZJuybctv4vFpXZHa9sinxFZE2Hpg69q2e-Ty-jvLLLc3BhYB-pm7pz7jIY5cU1KMZsbeHzhTxXq2bne2PHd-guCv9IEESCq8vM_m9QDMTQ/s2992/Tiny%20House%20Tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2992" data-original-width="2992" height="461" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJme9LQcqOuoMQ9HbwF0542KnLkIzBRJGjceWZ5QMdd4a5ghYrOlN7JMKp-zaC7AbznR8_ZVWvTSHNjhW2ZJuybctv4vFpXZHa9sinxFZE2Hpg69q2e-Ty-jvLLLc3BhYB-pm7pz7jIY5cU1KMZsbeHzhTxXq2bne2PHd-guCv9IEESCq8vM_m9QDMTQ/w461-h461/Tiny%20House%20Tree.jpg" width="461" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6505459113778015296.post-65701272714865326952023-05-16T07:50:00.000-07:002023-05-16T07:50:33.681-07:00Rejection Garden- Rejection Weekend<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Do you remember my #6 Rejection Garden story, THE MAILBOX?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Well, over the weekend I received an email from a #PBPitch request publisher telling me that they very much enjoyed reading the story and thank you for sharing it with us, but we are going to pass.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Luckily, it was a lovely weekend and I had a new project in mind.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Ta Da! The next phase of the garden, today, wires and soon, plants weaving their way up those wires. Trust me, it'll be lovely.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHtsB62Coavq2M3-OvfknHNevIcTz5odPzZIqHWFwWJoewLpofxlpXhInZym9Fn-KfLueNJfll_IJNMm0urYJxqdTBSWZe6Ss1mpYWu8TuY236f7gGfUc80y8DpjGKFUlouJAQT9mBLi7po_He-e19EWBPbGWWNwjIYPzfYKceTu4WaFGgQogd78pb-Q/s3456/20230514_145251.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHtsB62Coavq2M3-OvfknHNevIcTz5odPzZIqHWFwWJoewLpofxlpXhInZym9Fn-KfLueNJfll_IJNMm0urYJxqdTBSWZe6Ss1mpYWu8TuY236f7gGfUc80y8DpjGKFUlouJAQT9mBLi7po_He-e19EWBPbGWWNwjIYPzfYKceTu4WaFGgQogd78pb-Q/s320/20230514_145251.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Rejection is simply going to happen A LOT. So work on many things to keep your creativity up. It's really hard to be down when you are in the middle of CREATING something new, whether that be writing another story, building, gardening, painting etc. Here is a picture of my current workload. These are all written stories, in various states of being ready to submit. I do the sticky note thing because it helps me pinpoint projects quickly, as you can see there are a few to choose from.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">These are not ALL my in-progress stories, just the ones that have legs and are full drafts.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Just keep moving forward, the important part is to continue to love to create, no matter how many, "we're going to pass" rejections you get.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkwdOwyHOEoFOov8Z4L8OF2L-BEWwE7as7rAAbxaxIJpWXRpmEdm-4Bk0iA-ggEzinM-V02DXJSAPV5Wu3AMC74M0k729MG0shZ4yC7MAYgNsYdVkkbyz6xDg28uWf8gq-0LuAWwrEYGf4vOnoiyyxvBmPXLNUdzG_gbAsgyvUbuajeRw6y3nm8j3-oA/s2992/20230513_115902.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2992" data-original-width="2992" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkwdOwyHOEoFOov8Z4L8OF2L-BEWwE7as7rAAbxaxIJpWXRpmEdm-4Bk0iA-ggEzinM-V02DXJSAPV5Wu3AMC74M0k729MG0shZ4yC7MAYgNsYdVkkbyz6xDg28uWf8gq-0LuAWwrEYGf4vOnoiyyxvBmPXLNUdzG_gbAsgyvUbuajeRw6y3nm8j3-oA/s320/20230513_115902.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6505459113778015296.post-67640057949458952472023-05-15T10:48:00.007-07:002023-05-15T10:48:53.635-07:00The Rejection Garden Tree/Story 13 DESIGNED BY MOOSE<p> <i style="text-align: center;">The Rejection Garden is less about rejection and more about creativity, persistence, and joy. </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Over the next month, I am going to share one Tree or Manuscript with you, not in its entirety, instead, </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>I’ll post a synopsis, how many times it has been rejected, and then, </i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>I’ll finish with my favorite line and </i><i>include a picture of the tree and name tag.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i>"Every rejection is incremental payment on your dues that in some way will be translated back into your work." - James Lee Burke</i></b></div><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAR6mRSmsB13byrvKnI0NLj0zj0CejEz_EZNCd-d9YEdHdjXSOk-Zd-oRSaUJeuIrUW3G8rgt-px82U9S3_rCUf3jNnQ63w0gauss4avF3UmuWl0Mr39Hb9uIik4nwlzbTMVOEmOyfBtLZURX5p5IJt82li50NvdsMK5iN8VORof2hj7yxZgpBtHiMyQ/s2992/Designed%20by%20Moose%20Tag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2992" data-original-width="2992" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAR6mRSmsB13byrvKnI0NLj0zj0CejEz_EZNCd-d9YEdHdjXSOk-Zd-oRSaUJeuIrUW3G8rgt-px82U9S3_rCUf3jNnQ63w0gauss4avF3UmuWl0Mr39Hb9uIik4nwlzbTMVOEmOyfBtLZURX5p5IJt82li50NvdsMK5iN8VORof2hj7yxZgpBtHiMyQ/s320/Designed%20by%20Moose%20Tag.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>1 submission, no rejections (yet)</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Pitch: </b>A cautionary tale of home-grown visual and culinary garden treats, design aesthetics, and wits. Hooks: Gardening, Moose, frustration, encouragement, and learning to pivot when all things go wrong.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Susie had plotted, pruned, and prepared the garden, now it was time to plant. Moose had other ideas and, an eye for design.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My favorite line (page):</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>"A voracious visitor, </b><b>Moose craved the fresh variety of green popping up in Susie's Garden, </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>it was all too delectable,</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>too delightful,</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>too delicious not to devour and...</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>...with an eye for design, </b><b>Moose was ready to help."</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ICzBVgSqeZeucXPOpCN8yqsREnFjC6pobZmvSCyodFAyRAI81SvIX1nTbPWwisS6EvDXe7tve7oNzV9t3zEXDyVvnQF1oIZR9GoeWAv7dw9I_xF01fx6_3v4rC51l15PV2ppe5wAsFd7hQJPqcss6Dj2YD12Wqv-z0svXStYEdbg13oYysETC9LYhw/s2992/Designed%20by%20Moose%20Tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2992" data-original-width="2992" height="419" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ICzBVgSqeZeucXPOpCN8yqsREnFjC6pobZmvSCyodFAyRAI81SvIX1nTbPWwisS6EvDXe7tve7oNzV9t3zEXDyVvnQF1oIZR9GoeWAv7dw9I_xF01fx6_3v4rC51l15PV2ppe5wAsFd7hQJPqcss6Dj2YD12Wqv-z0svXStYEdbg13oYysETC9LYhw/w419-h419/Designed%20by%20Moose%20Tree.jpg" width="419" /></a></div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6505459113778015296.post-63439047480709296342023-05-13T11:43:00.002-07:002023-05-13T11:43:31.384-07:00The Rejection Garden Tree/Story 12 THE GIFT<p> <i style="text-align: center;">The Rejection Garden is less about rejection and more about creativity, persistence, and joy. </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Over the next month, I am going to share one Tree or Manuscript with you, not in its entirety, instead, </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>I’ll post a synopsis, how many times it has been rejected, and then, </i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>I’ll finish with my favorite line and </i><i>include a picture of the tree and name tag.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b>"I got a rejection letter from an editor at HarperCollins, who included a report from his professional reader. This report shredded my first-born novel, laughed at my phrasing, twirled my lacy pretensions around, and gobbled into the seething mosh pit of my stolen cliches. As I read the report, the world became very quiet and stopped rotating. What poisoned me was the fact that the report's criticisms were all absolutely true. The sound of my landlady digging in the garden got the world moving again. I slipped the letter into the trash...knowing I'd remember every word."</b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b>-David Michell</b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><br /></b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><br /></b></i></div><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGFf_Fi-KTXcNVWDYIwn6LtZ_eHhIBk5IXXepumWJC0e3KVGAbs2MZFe2CaLVDV8qmzT2LlbauOWv2N3zv2wDABuJIzRY_hEJNth_yAfdTT64v1T-iC4a6VTONBk04UlWfeLSiUihVGi3NdYJn8iLKwNgrQqpTnbz4X3nIjbzHTL8xX5dCOjbhW2hZcA/s3456/The%20GIFT%20tag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGFf_Fi-KTXcNVWDYIwn6LtZ_eHhIBk5IXXepumWJC0e3KVGAbs2MZFe2CaLVDV8qmzT2LlbauOWv2N3zv2wDABuJIzRY_hEJNth_yAfdTT64v1T-iC4a6VTONBk04UlWfeLSiUihVGi3NdYJn8iLKwNgrQqpTnbz4X3nIjbzHTL8xX5dCOjbhW2hZcA/s320/The%20GIFT%20tag.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>7 submissions, 7 rejections</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span> </span>A sensory seasonal tale with the twist of a diverse perspective, inclusive, unique, and friendship functioning in the everyday. Supporting Sarah is everything for her service dog, Sam. Sharing joy with him, in between the everyday care and support he provides brightens each day. One afternoon during a break, a seasonal romp through the senses with a PLUNGE...CRASH...CRUNCH... binds two hearts together in a moment of autumnal textures and smells, each a gift, shared between friends.</div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUDztB9u6NOnsz5NtbxZioMkanoNX96V4UUhpgtmD-aC_5C6e6DCfVDTazKN3qKeTMKHEviZYrrqvirBa0kvHMflO-CQlnTWuw2VW7Wk6r6lt25K5jsyyuBuCrGuDFohroHl4MzAVQ7sOAzGdf5XWgmwaMu-vrlx3tKyNJ6-KphevQgMvZ6-YafAe0aw/s3456/The%20Gift%20Tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUDztB9u6NOnsz5NtbxZioMkanoNX96V4UUhpgtmD-aC_5C6e6DCfVDTazKN3qKeTMKHEviZYrrqvirBa0kvHMflO-CQlnTWuw2VW7Wk6r6lt25K5jsyyuBuCrGuDFohroHl4MzAVQ7sOAzGdf5XWgmwaMu-vrlx3tKyNJ6-KphevQgMvZ6-YafAe0aw/s320/The%20Gift%20Tree.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span> One of my favorite lines from this very lyrical piece:</span><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><b>"Nothing, not the earthy smell of the mud in the in-between,</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><b>with its slips and slides...</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><b>... or the scent of treats from Sarah's pocket could distract him from a run,</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><b>and race over the crisp snap and crackle of the ground.</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><b>All he needed was a...</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><b>'Go!'"</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><b><br /></b></span></div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6505459113778015296.post-75606781672438050212023-05-12T07:50:00.000-07:002023-05-12T07:50:16.510-07:00The Rejection Garden Tree/Story 11 THE FAILURE PROJECT<p> <i style="text-align: center;"> The Rejection Garden is less about rejection and more about creativity, persistence, and joy. </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Over the next month, I am going to share one Tree or Manuscript with you, not in its entirety, instead, </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>I’ll post a synopsis, how many times it has been rejected, and then, </i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>I’ll finish with my favorite line and </i><i>include a picture of the tree and name tag.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b>"To ward off a feeling of failure, she joked that she could wallpaper her bathroom with rejections slips, which she chose not to see as messages to stop, but rather as tickets to the game." </b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b>- Anita Shreve</b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxnXpzao7w5GrET5nR1uvLc7067r06CDfWqwh--1ZfOHGM5sEFJkOLXgQ9Me4J-wj6_IfcZZLsLjLEii8hZJJe05Dt62sULXX3C6mPXy_rqUuyOrRBSkPibABbcA0BfYM7EjNqimpB0fi9y2sJWHwmLwH65dKaG_4MoAvJiGixJxn_HVQisUerb9WDJA/s2992/The%20Failure%20Project%20tag.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2992" data-original-width="2992" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxnXpzao7w5GrET5nR1uvLc7067r06CDfWqwh--1ZfOHGM5sEFJkOLXgQ9Me4J-wj6_IfcZZLsLjLEii8hZJJe05Dt62sULXX3C6mPXy_rqUuyOrRBSkPibABbcA0BfYM7EjNqimpB0fi9y2sJWHwmLwH65dKaG_4MoAvJiGixJxn_HVQisUerb9WDJA/s320/The%20Failure%20Project%20tag.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">6 rejections, 6 submissions</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span> Not surprisingly this one is all about failure, but the really really good kind. The kind of failure that brings you closer to like-minded or supportive people and progress. One cannot succeed without failure. </span><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span>Pitch: Of course, she's a failure at creating a Failure Project. That's not a surprise, but ever determined and inspired by other "failures", Slinky, X-Ray, even Celcro, Dee knows she will succeed, eventually. And with this failure, she isn't alone, the whole town is along for the ride.<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span>Favorite line: The first couple of lines. They set this story up so well and with great sarcasm, and acceptance, yet also hope...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span>"Dee was having one of her bad mornings. </span>Strike that, a horrible week. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Actually, more like a lonely, atrocious year, full of mistakes." </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Raising a kid who HATES making mistakes, like an emotional bomb going off in your face, twice, and with shrapnel, HATES is challenging. Set aside the autism, the early childhood trauma, and this feeling is pretty universal for kids, and adults. I wrote this story to celebrate this universal, putting a new spin of hope on it because no one likes making mistakes, they usually hurt in one way or another. But for Dee, a budding scientist, mistakes are a must, and coming to terms with that is monumental to success.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFMW2wo6518zxEPFUprYSlyJQzLqKSUFCAc4Sm0D2dT2LmGIq2xeWj-WyAmSRfdNVesI5XsLnQ2w9G1NmDlSYiqrEHp6oepU9olLU34v-R7njeRwdChFi5BETC_ohYpyZHnMZHKfjEjVHINAQwoC2EXkotzHLBdrCQOxvBvumNkY_Zigcv_YFpNWVlNA/s2992/The%20Failure%20Project%20tree.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2992" data-original-width="2992" height="423" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFMW2wo6518zxEPFUprYSlyJQzLqKSUFCAc4Sm0D2dT2LmGIq2xeWj-WyAmSRfdNVesI5XsLnQ2w9G1NmDlSYiqrEHp6oepU9olLU34v-R7njeRwdChFi5BETC_ohYpyZHnMZHKfjEjVHINAQwoC2EXkotzHLBdrCQOxvBvumNkY_Zigcv_YFpNWVlNA/w423-h423/The%20Failure%20Project%20tree.jpg" width="423" /></a></div><br /> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span>Yup, it's another Japanese Maple, but the fern behind it is really the star of the picture, a failure? Not really, just an exercise in patience. </span></div><br /><i><br /></i></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6505459113778015296.post-28908742028984636422023-05-11T07:31:00.000-07:002023-05-11T07:31:08.234-07:00The Rejection Garden Tree/Story 10 THE BAKED ESCAPE AKA GOODIES<p> <span style="text-align: center;"> </span><i style="text-align: center;"> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>The Rejection Garden is less about rejection and more about creativity, persistence, and joy. </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Over the next month, I am going to share one Tree or Manuscript with you, not in its entirety, instead, </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>I’ll post a synopsis, how many times it has been rejected, and then, </i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>I’ll finish with my favorite line and </i><i>include a picture of the tree and name tag.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>"I encourage you to reject rejection. If someone says no, just say NEXT!" </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>- Jack Canfield</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHNfh_OTHbzjfsUt2PfbcJz_vHBGhIHuJ5QC9jezSt2JwSZQNEbKh85VzYYpfuSlcAfrRKfQ8hNk-0I6qPEQM3RyvDAYjIfkPq7ubzSwS7UmpinCMuUC-01_4A7OqlSLpGE3sNTfm1XDMMs9plrpfZBrBn8y5iGSvs4_bHIQRyGiRs0qfciMQZOSpdVQ/s2992/The%20Bakes%20Escape%20tag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2992" data-original-width="2992" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHNfh_OTHbzjfsUt2PfbcJz_vHBGhIHuJ5QC9jezSt2JwSZQNEbKh85VzYYpfuSlcAfrRKfQ8hNk-0I6qPEQM3RyvDAYjIfkPq7ubzSwS7UmpinCMuUC-01_4A7OqlSLpGE3sNTfm1XDMMs9plrpfZBrBn8y5iGSvs4_bHIQRyGiRs0qfciMQZOSpdVQ/s320/The%20Bakes%20Escape%20tag.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />9 submissions, 8 rejections</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Tree/Story 10- THE BAKED ESCAPE</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The pitch: INTO THE WOODS meets MUPPET Caper with a side of sprinkles and sugar. Bravery beyond the basket? Cookie, Macaron, and Muffin mix up Little Red's classic tale to show that being an unlikely hero is sweet when justice or just desserts are delivered. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This one is hilarious and so much fun, dialogue-driven for sure with a lot of action.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My favorite exchange or line?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span> "Sorry Red," Macaron said, "but these goodies aren't for you!"</span><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span>And then:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span> "No one deserves to be a snack if they don't want to," said Cookie.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span> "True," said Macaron, "Muffin, you untie Granny."</span><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span> "On it!" shouted Muffin.</span><br /></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span>"Cookie, you distract the wolf," said Macaron.</span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span> "Sprinkles to the rescue!" shouted Cookie.</span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTE6HsAvhamEKuYVmdcM_y5r1Wi7lSfZv3y8J3JAAZLVVc7W4c1v3gehdm9uVzJucKrcrON6Q7oxhPwoH-e7tdoeJmJXf341zyluP2QK0v1nglmasJXWcy73-axxYyoNMRtTcQj1ybBWpcxr5E3TPelQoIOsMDtNGfnC9xHkCQQudX3YqtrXaeHgRvjQ/s2992/The%20Baked%20escape%20tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2992" data-original-width="2992" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTE6HsAvhamEKuYVmdcM_y5r1Wi7lSfZv3y8J3JAAZLVVc7W4c1v3gehdm9uVzJucKrcrON6Q7oxhPwoH-e7tdoeJmJXf341zyluP2QK0v1nglmasJXWcy73-axxYyoNMRtTcQj1ybBWpcxr5E3TPelQoIOsMDtNGfnC9xHkCQQudX3YqtrXaeHgRvjQ/w412-h412/The%20Baked%20escape%20tree.jpg" width="412" /></a></div><br /><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Not a Japanese Maple, shocking I know. A lilac!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6505459113778015296.post-22814387585952552552023-05-10T07:44:00.002-07:002023-05-10T07:44:21.384-07:00The Rejection Garden Tree/Story 9- Dinosaur Blues<p> <span style="text-align: center;"> </span><i style="text-align: center;"> The Rejection Garden is less about rejection and more about creativity, persistence, and joy. </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Over the next month, I am going to share one Tree or Manuscript with you, not in its entirety, instead, </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>I’ll post a synopsis, how many times it has been rejected, and then, </i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>I’ll finish with my favorite line and </i><i>include a picture of the tree and name tag. </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><br /></b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b>"Rejection has value. It teaches us when our work or our skillset is not good enough and must be made better... Rejection refines us. Those who fall prey to its enervating soul-sucking tentacles are doomed. Those who persist past it are survivors. Best ask yourself the question: what kind of writer are you? The kind who survives? or the kind who gets asphyxiated by the tentacles of woe?</b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>- Check Wendig</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSU3fq1uNHnMOq-4xZazDblYGKRl8gRCXoEPB735_IgearMnMMEMt-J1dIn_ETcxAGgLQ_0pB2NHRn7dmBt2ujFuJ_PMXFo0HDJh_JqZzwk3HIUe4i8cp2kBmVB-tMPnisdPHwvGr2xXkUo90rEXbTtt7pPvAq0ZnMoIfkyc-amcHOHX8MYvwg8ZD2yA/s3456/Dino%20Blues%20Tag.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSU3fq1uNHnMOq-4xZazDblYGKRl8gRCXoEPB735_IgearMnMMEMt-J1dIn_ETcxAGgLQ_0pB2NHRn7dmBt2ujFuJ_PMXFo0HDJh_JqZzwk3HIUe4i8cp2kBmVB-tMPnisdPHwvGr2xXkUo90rEXbTtt7pPvAq0ZnMoIfkyc-amcHOHX8MYvwg8ZD2yA/s320/Dino%20Blues%20Tag.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">4 submissions, 4 rejections </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Tree/Story 9- Dinosaur Blues</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span> </span>Ack! A rhyming picture book. I MUST be insane to one- write it, two-send it out. I must be...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span> </span>Nonetheless, I love this piece. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span> </span>One day driving down the viaduct (no longer standing) in Seattle, along the port, my brain, wired differently (neurodivergent), turned the shapes of the cranes into dinosaurs and popped a line that repeated in my head. "Mama likes to sing the blues, but only when it rains." Suddenly the graffiti'd stacks of shipping containers I was driving by turned into monsters and an idea bubbled up as I wondered about the operators of the huge steel dinosaurs (cranes). When back home I discovered that women were only allowed to become operators in 1999. Then I wondered if they had children, and what it would be like to be the child of a mom who rides steel dinosaurs for a job. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span> </span>As for the rhyming, no matter how many times I rewrite this manuscript, it always comes back to rhyming, it is DESTINED to be a bedtime book in rhyme. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span> </span>My favorite stanza?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"Music helps Mama weave in magic,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">like the moonlight through my dreams.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Each melody she sings aloud</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">hushes the growl of monster screams."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihr78TkzVoOVl7GDgJaltAdsvjdMR7dYSXJdRKwQVR_f_TDMhoXTuad3fhIwhkAsn7gpRgZnP_3V3OBEGPud3ZKVVx7bIfQsEA0dYqBhuovIui6Prlrm9OvF8zBtyRZvGxOBnffgwxX2TqZM_A-bDYKf4I-EAuMpfxGc9_nvepe2C7D1RxC3oWWJP1Uw/s1080/Dino%20Tree.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihr78TkzVoOVl7GDgJaltAdsvjdMR7dYSXJdRKwQVR_f_TDMhoXTuad3fhIwhkAsn7gpRgZnP_3V3OBEGPud3ZKVVx7bIfQsEA0dYqBhuovIui6Prlrm9OvF8zBtyRZvGxOBnffgwxX2TqZM_A-bDYKf4I-EAuMpfxGc9_nvepe2C7D1RxC3oWWJP1Uw/w436-h436/Dino%20Tree.jpg" width="436" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6505459113778015296.post-21613499625935697232023-05-09T07:24:00.000-07:002023-05-09T07:24:52.915-07:00The Rejection Garden Tree/Story 8 Graffiti Garden<p style="text-align: center;"><i> The Rejection Garden is less about rejection and more about creativity, persistence, and joy. </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Over the next month, I am going to share one Tree or Manuscript with you, not in its entirety, instead, </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>I’ll post a synopsis, how many times it has been rejected, and then, </i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>I’ll finish with my favorite line and </i><i>include a picture of the tree and name tag. </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b>"For every accomplishment, there were twenty rejections... In the end, though, only one attitude enabled me to move ahead. That attitude said, "Rejection can simply, mean redirection."" </b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b>- Maya Angelou</b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><br /></b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5AZVdW7NwHfJMtsErMx9yf1iBEKYNx_5XUc5VQ1dPjuLXYb26cmS5DY_vk4nZTYWCk4KDTD37lSNIwBcvacnOEh2gsQTbCnq63UF-DMoAUHBYVCUtty3EN8jsbizdXl4xe8TMT7DWbVVnGcgKMACQsHmUcv_GpQPjTcr313c1OGuWlNNKu5th87wpLg/s2992/Graffiti%20Garden%20tag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2992" data-original-width="2992" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5AZVdW7NwHfJMtsErMx9yf1iBEKYNx_5XUc5VQ1dPjuLXYb26cmS5DY_vk4nZTYWCk4KDTD37lSNIwBcvacnOEh2gsQTbCnq63UF-DMoAUHBYVCUtty3EN8jsbizdXl4xe8TMT7DWbVVnGcgKMACQsHmUcv_GpQPjTcr313c1OGuWlNNKu5th87wpLg/s320/Graffiti%20Garden%20tag.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1 submission, no rejections (yet)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span> </span>This is a new manuscript, I wrote it just the other month. I love it and think it has a lot of potential, given that I have already submitted it once. That's the thing about the way I write. I write a lot. New ideas turn into new stories all of the time. One of my favorite "contests" is @storystorm I have participated in it for years now. Nothing like coming up with 31 new ideas (or more in my case) over a month. One year I challenged myself to complete 20 first drafts along with those ideas. I did it! Writing is fun. Editing is fun. Rejection, well it's just part of the work. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span>Tree/Story 8- Graffiti Garden- </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span>Addie's creative and persistent attempts at growing plants fail time and time again, but living in a family of gardeners, she is determined to grow something. An untraditional, artistic idea helps plant Addie in the middle of the garden scene and showcases her unique green thumb.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span>My favorite line?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span> "...until she discovered there wouldn't be room in the garden beds for her work... </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span>but there was a wall."</span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p class="Body" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></p></div><p class="Body" style="line-height: 200%;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9plkLIuJnVglTOD-QK4iBvr7_9mChQBsh-evPAp4E2hNd6j-9-RR7OIbgTbtujdbgfl5tNQz-0RZ7EoOy0gkwVqaEez19m6uW12r1XNwlx39MfqaSW4AnKgHQuRYLAu6o_y-Z4aQpXhpR-Ru304u2a2yHzcfqAf8z3y_bBc22MdZE-6R6tQV2BGbaag/s2992/Graffiti%20Garden%20tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2992" data-original-width="2992" height="441" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9plkLIuJnVglTOD-QK4iBvr7_9mChQBsh-evPAp4E2hNd6j-9-RR7OIbgTbtujdbgfl5tNQz-0RZ7EoOy0gkwVqaEez19m6uW12r1XNwlx39MfqaSW4AnKgHQuRYLAu6o_y-Z4aQpXhpR-Ru304u2a2yHzcfqAf8z3y_bBc22MdZE-6R6tQV2BGbaag/w441-h441/Graffiti%20Garden%20tree.jpg" width="441" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="Body" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Yet another Japanese Maple. Sensing an addiction are you?</div><br /><b style="font-style: italic;"><br /></b></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6505459113778015296.post-67864021740178920602023-05-08T07:26:00.000-07:002023-05-08T07:26:03.707-07:00The Rejection Garden Tree/Story 7 Galaxy Girl<p> </p><p style="text-align: center;"> <i> The Rejection Garden is less about rejection and more about creativity, persistence, and joy. </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Over the next month, I am going to share one Tree or Manuscript with you, not in its entirety, instead, </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>I’ll post a synopsis, how many times it has been rejected, and then, </i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>I’ll finish with my favorite line and </i><i>include a picture of the tree and name tag. </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b>"You must keep sending your work out; you must never let a manuscript do nothing but eat its head off in a drawer. You send that work out again, and again, while you're working on another one. If you have talent, you will receive some measure of success- but only if you persist. - Isaac Asimov</b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjupK3MSYwLt8iNYPh1UPvTeVYCg0ljikn4X3TjYHRxeIsBLF7j1eDodkEHmNWaM0mQu6UupXSLfU70esw0-LDZfnh_PmJlvgyh9Y7ToNQN6tusP9q_bTh1BeIUlPgdo7Jf44iexFgqu82ViOTXFo4mhTPyxSOMaMPZS4VcC23M4OtlKkoAVLMLSzMCrg/s3456/Galaxy%20Girl%20Tag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjupK3MSYwLt8iNYPh1UPvTeVYCg0ljikn4X3TjYHRxeIsBLF7j1eDodkEHmNWaM0mQu6UupXSLfU70esw0-LDZfnh_PmJlvgyh9Y7ToNQN6tusP9q_bTh1BeIUlPgdo7Jf44iexFgqu82ViOTXFo4mhTPyxSOMaMPZS4VcC23M4OtlKkoAVLMLSzMCrg/s320/Galaxy%20Girl%20Tag.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p><p>Tree/Story 7 Galaxy Girl- Is a "simple" friendship story with an autism/space exploration twist.</p><p>This story has been rejected OVER and OVER again at various Pitch events on Twitter. I hear a lot of "Lovely" "Fun Concept" "No market for it". I am 24 rejections for 25 submissions on this one.</p><p><br /></p><p><span> </span>The market for kindness knows no bounds, in my opinion, and diversity is so needed. So, I keep sending this story out hoping that someday someone will see in it the joy and connection as well as stepping stones for conversations about neurodivergent behavior.</p><p><span> </span>I wrote this story because my daughter is on the spectrum because this is our daily state of being because there are no voices like hers out there and because friendship, even if you enjoy being alone, is still a beautiful thing to explore.</p><p><span> </span>Autism, like a rainbow, never looks the same, even if seen at the same time by a group of people who have the same vantage point. This story highlights one voice from the rainbowed chorus. The spectrum of autism ranges far and wide, some behaviors have been included in this story. I could not hope to include every beautiful detail from the spectrum, but I have kept the voice authentic by focusing on my daughter and our experiences. </p><p><br /></p><p><span> My favorite line from this manuscript is a conversation:</span><br /></p><p><span><span> </span><span> Robin tried a "Tweet. TWEET!"</span><br /></span></p><p><span><span><span> </span><span> Nothing.</span><br /></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span> <span> </span> Robin tried a "Honk. HONK! HONK!"</span><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> Nothing.</span><br /></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> Robin tried a "Beep!"</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> [Amelia] "Beep!"</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> [Robin] "Contact made!"</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span> </span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span> <span> The thing I love about this story is that it used journal entries and really plops you down in these girls' worlds that "appear" so different, but end up feeling very familiar. I also REALLY love how persistent Robin is, how kind and open-minded and joyous she is, and that Amelia is simply herself the whole. time. </span></span><br /></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span></span></span></span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYeddGhjCWSzQC8N-3hmc7uYY8wy1cscKfralZjbW-GOw88U1BXmgK6h36w5KlgzMrKRCzGs1HN3siW41xvpSrOW1v7Ml0B6egd2Ixp-u41B-tfe6YIOtkx4sNRv5DU9Zy7njM8FqJNzfR5273YKQ7vgkIPgjFQp7zz-eNkpawzH_xdI5g16jGc3S-tw/s3456/Galaxy%20Girl%20tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="433" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYeddGhjCWSzQC8N-3hmc7uYY8wy1cscKfralZjbW-GOw88U1BXmgK6h36w5KlgzMrKRCzGs1HN3siW41xvpSrOW1v7Ml0B6egd2Ixp-u41B-tfe6YIOtkx4sNRv5DU9Zy7njM8FqJNzfR5273YKQ7vgkIPgjFQp7zz-eNkpawzH_xdI5g16jGc3S-tw/w433-h433/Galaxy%20Girl%20tree.jpg" width="433" /></a></div><br /><span><br /></span><p></p><p><span> As for the tree, I choose a Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar. I think with its otherworldly shape and twists and turns it fits this manuscript perfectly.</span><br /></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p class="Body" style="background: white; line-height: 24.0pt; margin-bottom: 5.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 5.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6505459113778015296.post-79771270757604590402023-05-07T09:12:00.000-07:002023-05-07T09:12:46.688-07:00The Rejection Garden Tree/Story 6 MAILBOX<p><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span> <i style="text-align: center;">The Rejection Garden is less about rejection and more about creativity, persistence, and joy. </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Over the next month, I am going to share one Tree or Manuscript with you, not in its entirety, instead, </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>I’ll post a synopsis, how many times it has been rejected, and then, </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>I’ll finish with my favorite line and </i><i>include a picture of the tree and name tag. </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>"Remember: when people tell you something's wrong or doesn't work for them, they are almost always right. When they tell you exactly what they think is wrong and how to fix it, they are almost always wrong." - Neil Gaiman</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6b1F1DlyLctXT1QDoAfJ84f_fcnMMgwM_hePBMPaKJUyFMJtBwC6aDPJqN7sLQW-o3sfRZ8h-pEz15jgYOUmxgyub8jWGTWno2yF37KBy1dCf79t76I5GCA55V9X68SjOJGCue5u3WEfJT8DgA_tJkaBccUUwIYnhJc-IWIMOHlJTZ3g53c7LFQjMGA/s3456/The%20Mailbox%20tag.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6b1F1DlyLctXT1QDoAfJ84f_fcnMMgwM_hePBMPaKJUyFMJtBwC6aDPJqN7sLQW-o3sfRZ8h-pEz15jgYOUmxgyub8jWGTWno2yF37KBy1dCf79t76I5GCA55V9X68SjOJGCue5u3WEfJT8DgA_tJkaBccUUwIYnhJc-IWIMOHlJTZ3g53c7LFQjMGA/s320/The%20Mailbox%20tag.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><i><br /></i><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></p><p style="text-align: left;">Tree/Story 6- MAILBOX</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>There are two reasons I wrote this story- one, every day I walk. One day, passing and old red mailbox across the street from a house where the older woman has just died I began to wonder, what would happen to it. Will a new family move it? Will it sit empty? Will it be replaced? Would it be lonely if it is no longer used?</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>Then I started thinking about a critique partner who is caring for her two old and ill parents and all of the grief she encounters daily... and that's when BOX's voice popped into my head.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>Here is the pitch: Empty. Rusted and dinged, BOX is more than a place for mail. Love, loss, family, and unexpected twists illuminated by an unconventional voice bring "heart" into focus.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> I LOVE this story. It is sad, sure, but it is beautiful and the POV is unique and lyrical.</span><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> My favorite line? The beginning and the end for me just get me.</span><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span><span> "Useful. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span><span>Rusted. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span><span>Dinged. </span><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span><span>With hinges that creaked, </span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span><span>and a yawning door that crunched open and closed. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span><span>Box loved being a safe place for important things. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span><span>He also loved his sport on the side of the road where he could watch the world pass by."</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span><span>"...he tried holding laughter,</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span><span>but Box wasn't good at holding laughter.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span><span>It liked to bounce around his insides, </span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span><span>then wiggle out around his dings and dents.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;">But for her...</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">...he would try."</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">This story has been sent out 3 times, with 3 rejections or rather no responses. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN45hk3pgY4M8wq55ad6n9F24JogV_TKq3h3JnumxVLUmshL3TI2LEql2RA4cM3p7REg70qy1CsVOIFtXuJkTljVeLMA8BttesquxbW49qC3_qzLbjmP0opMznoVAtGdhBTsnO3EG_BiYbHo3m9KVJdzhMM33nhKhgd3EXcqlc9qRaU2x2FePtwd-HjA/s2992/The%20Mailbox%20tree.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2992" data-original-width="2992" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN45hk3pgY4M8wq55ad6n9F24JogV_TKq3h3JnumxVLUmshL3TI2LEql2RA4cM3p7REg70qy1CsVOIFtXuJkTljVeLMA8BttesquxbW49qC3_qzLbjmP0opMznoVAtGdhBTsnO3EG_BiYbHo3m9KVJdzhMM33nhKhgd3EXcqlc9qRaU2x2FePtwd-HjA/w458-h458/The%20Mailbox%20tree.jpg" width="458" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">Shocking, another Japanese Maple, but this one lived in a pot for about 10 years, and no matter where I put it, it wasn't happy UNTIL... I planted it here in my #rejectiongarden</p><p style="text-align: center;">It's thriving and fabulous. Just like BOX.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6505459113778015296.post-51344500032066931882023-05-06T12:26:00.000-07:002023-05-06T12:26:07.526-07:00The Rejection Garden Tree/Story 5 The Spelling Bea<p style="text-align: center;"> <i style="text-align: center;"> The Rejection Garden is less about rejection and more about creativity, persistence, and joy. </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Over the next month, I am going to share one Tree or Manuscript with you, not in its entirety, instead, </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>I’ll post a synopsis, how many times it has been rejected, and then, </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>I’ll finish with my favorite line and </i><i>include a picture of the tree and name tag. </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><b>"I would advise anyone who aspires to a writing career that before developing (his) talent (he) would be wise to develop a thick hide." - Harper Lee</b></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i></i></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixkkPGPes_nG3t7xIiWVw7BbXRagIjQWGy1EviPoDkWFgaR0TD-De3Zm8_eGCM4KC8zVV84d13rf8LRyaafQhqddoEZywPAWzbi2_k7PNI5ZmuDRSJUHdyJ9vq1I5bzPqdxQmkicDVUMk02ODylszzy6iX0K2Tcs2aD17ThA3BaZhUSM6hv7iGcJXzAA/s3456/The%20Spelling%20Bea%20tag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixkkPGPes_nG3t7xIiWVw7BbXRagIjQWGy1EviPoDkWFgaR0TD-De3Zm8_eGCM4KC8zVV84d13rf8LRyaafQhqddoEZywPAWzbi2_k7PNI5ZmuDRSJUHdyJ9vq1I5bzPqdxQmkicDVUMk02ODylszzy6iX0K2Tcs2aD17ThA3BaZhUSM6hv7iGcJXzAA/s320/The%20Spelling%20Bea%20tag.jpg" width="320" /></a></i></p><i><br /><b><br /></b></i><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><b><br /></b></i></p><p style="text-align: left;">Tree/Story 5- Living with dyslexia has always been a struggle for me (hello imposter syndrome on level 11 as a writer), but in school, the yearly required Spelling Bee was the worst. It challenged me in so many ways, increased my anxiety and to this day will cause me to bloom hives. I brought this voice to the story but gave it hope and a wiggle out and agency I was never able to materialize for myself as a kid. </p><p style="text-align: left;">The pitch: Letters cheated, played hide-and-seek, and piled into messes for Bea, especially during the class spelling bee. Unwilling to let words and letters defeat her Bea finds a new way to communicate. Using art Bea can't beat the bee, but she can participate, in her own way. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 115%;">Art is used when words are a struggle.
Neurodivergent voice, anxiety, and hope with a twist. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 115%;">This one has been rejected 6 times since 2021.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 115%;">My favorite line...I couldn't pick just one here are three:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 115%;">"Bea tried and tried to pin down letters..</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">but swiveling and swirling to catch them made her head swim and hands sweat."</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 115%;">"Nothing about today would be fine. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 115%;">She'd much rather play dodgeball all-day than have to stand up and spell... </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 115%;">One. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 115%;">Single. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 115%;">Word."</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 115%;">"Art untangled Bea."</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgagEWWnIIGyVUBRnzYAVwGbWXuCMdBMkgRi6Hg5uoW2K0Wu6viDaO5CKEH7QLTM15Q10PKBB2fj79GvE9M3uCdVZtkYfuiXOCqAHBGIw3ShJVRUQlIh4Zqoa881rWk2Zye6iNFU784lBeEC1RARmueD5xwUGzAMw0v6pEL6dDqjNgm0bMiw5rxphHqKA/s3456/The%20Spelling%20Bea%20Tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgagEWWnIIGyVUBRnzYAVwGbWXuCMdBMkgRi6Hg5uoW2K0Wu6viDaO5CKEH7QLTM15Q10PKBB2fj79GvE9M3uCdVZtkYfuiXOCqAHBGIw3ShJVRUQlIh4Zqoa881rWk2Zye6iNFU784lBeEC1RARmueD5xwUGzAMw0v6pEL6dDqjNgm0bMiw5rxphHqKA/w472-h472/The%20Spelling%20Bea%20Tree.jpg" width="472" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">\</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6505459113778015296.post-85041510294890834262023-05-05T08:11:00.000-07:002023-05-05T08:11:12.040-07:00The Rejection Garden- Tree/Story 4 Fairytale Support Club- A place to speak your truth, and tell your story and, be heard. <p style="text-align: center;"><i> The Rejection Garden is less about rejection and more about creativity, persistence, and joy. </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Over the next month, I am going to share one Tree or Manuscript with you, not in its entirety, instead, </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>I’ll post a synopsis, how many times it has been rejected, and then, </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>I’ll finish with my favorite line and </i><i>include a picture of the tree and name tag. </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><b>I love my rejection slips. They show me I try.- Sylvia Plath</b></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXJubzErNUUUsQG7YZGMLSBDrarAMiMzvVVagdsdsomz8foIOCi-oZ3ePn4uxQIYoqHaCInHsjjyOynJJH3xrijgXBk0YNbUMgiSn96iVdWCguvV3wUFCmc0_GOhOBV8vyrTGghJ2X5xUQu5XbFo4BwzGcCKSznXjnzbop6vmWLdg5k1b-2i3nLIc0Kw/s3456/Fuzzy%20Wuzzy%20tag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXJubzErNUUUsQG7YZGMLSBDrarAMiMzvVVagdsdsomz8foIOCi-oZ3ePn4uxQIYoqHaCInHsjjyOynJJH3xrijgXBk0YNbUMgiSn96iVdWCguvV3wUFCmc0_GOhOBV8vyrTGghJ2X5xUQu5XbFo4BwzGcCKSznXjnzbop6vmWLdg5k1b-2i3nLIc0Kw/s320/Fuzzy%20Wuzzy%20tag.jpg" width="320" /></a></i></div><i><br /><b><br /></b></i><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><b><br /></b></i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>Story/Tree 4 Fuzzy Wuzzy, choosing this tree wasn't as important from an aesthetic standpoint, it was more about simply putting my book title out there as this one has gone through rejection and MAJOR rewrites to the point that really, it's a whole new story. Shout out to my great critique partners for walking with me through the years of this manuscript, particularly Maria Marshall, for the brilliant idea of a fundamental shift in the overall setting. Gotta love a good critique group.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> So, Fuzzy, now titled Fairytale Support Club- A place to speak your truth, and tell your story and, be heard. This fractured fairytale follows many nursery rhyme characters in a new light, telling their true stories in their own voices, or rather in this first book (I have plans for more), Fuzzy Wuzzy who is NOT a bear is impeded by false perceptions/discrimination. A practical and forthright</span> gnome who is the lead rocket engineer Fuzzy must prevail in a hurry to secure her invention before a storm hits. Layered in nursery rhyme references and alterations this story really looks at things from a whole new perspective with a little humor and support from classic characters.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> My favorite line? I have several, but this one, from Molly the cow, well. It makes me chuckle every time. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 200%;"> </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 200%;">"Hold the cheese, no way!" said Molly. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 200%;"><span> And this one, </span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 200%;"><span>"Not the Narrator," said Bear, "He's the worst, he's always getting things wrong." </span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 200%;"><span><span> Pretty much sums everything up.</span><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 200%;"><span><span><br /></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 200%;"><span><span> <b>Fuzzy (old version) has been rejected 25 times since 2015</b>. I am getting ready to send this new version out soon. So, maybe someday, you will come across these lines in a real book or not. But, I love them. I love this character. I love this story. So, Fuzzy got her own tree in my Rejection Garden for good reason.<br /></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 200%;"><span><span><span> <i> "Fuzzy Wuzzy was a gnome,</i><i><br /></i></span></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 200%;"><span><span><span><span><i><span> who loved to wander far from home.</span><br /></i></span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 200%;"><span><span><span><span><span><i><span> Wicked-smart, and really sweet,</span><br /></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 200%;"><i> with long black hair and small gnome feet..."</i><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoY_fz607W4ba_ERG0dmGhmm5Ng2592GIHhPeG_kteHifopQ45ATn0B-fVQp0noTh378lgq2yIDi7KDejGfaQ62WlMOEUGVVdYbifpWqKc-4fT9nOPFK1u3RVq4sDLKvZ8r8XzjcpFkH1-a6wDkCK6iD8Jjx7m6aScFKWFn864JgjIE3sZQP66XTUm7w/s3456/Fruzzy%20Wuzzy%20tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoY_fz607W4ba_ERG0dmGhmm5Ng2592GIHhPeG_kteHifopQ45ATn0B-fVQp0noTh378lgq2yIDi7KDejGfaQ62WlMOEUGVVdYbifpWqKc-4fT9nOPFK1u3RVq4sDLKvZ8r8XzjcpFkH1-a6wDkCK6iD8Jjx7m6aScFKWFn864JgjIE3sZQP66XTUm7w/w472-h472/Fruzzy%20Wuzzy%20tree.jpg" width="472" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p class="Body" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></span></p><p class="Body" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span><span> </span><br /></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6505459113778015296.post-81902350901540032092023-05-04T07:51:00.000-07:002023-05-04T07:51:01.310-07:00Rejection Garden Tree/Story 3 EGG<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>The Rejection Garden is less about rejection and more about creativity, persistence, and joy. Over the next month, I am going to share one Tree or Manuscript with you, not in its entirety, instead, I’ll post a synopsis, how many times it has been rejected and then, I’ll finish with my favorite line and include a picture of the tree and name tag. </i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i><b>"In life, you'll get 100's of rejections, you just need 1 yes to forget the remaining. So never stop moving on." - Shubhankar Mishra</b></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span> Story/Tree 3 is EGG, my one and only published book. I am counting it as it was rejected 3 times before finally getting published. The tree I chose for EGG is a Weeping Pussy Willow, that has started blooming already. It is tall and has a beautiful umbrella top that rises then falls into an umbrella sway, hopefully, one that will continue to grow to the ground. I am looking forward to seeing this tree grow.</span><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><span> </span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4sxE09WjW5vRH3Udz6xevCG4qfi8W3WigWr-XHxJc3dHqHjt9pX2qoOBnRnxRq4i1pOarU33xDYfc6Z4e4PU6n0Jib7N2fhzWlnQCZmO53FMVUA-2QSOfhh9wXmK0WPunhE5muBEgWOV_nqpecDoFXmqZPbZCMX-8bMNN3KLRKhva6u-WDUUvEPuc3Q/s1080/Egg%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4sxE09WjW5vRH3Udz6xevCG4qfi8W3WigWr-XHxJc3dHqHjt9pX2qoOBnRnxRq4i1pOarU33xDYfc6Z4e4PU6n0Jib7N2fhzWlnQCZmO53FMVUA-2QSOfhh9wXmK0WPunhE5muBEgWOV_nqpecDoFXmqZPbZCMX-8bMNN3KLRKhva6u-WDUUvEPuc3Q/s320/Egg%201.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUOQmrZCwDLZ3ToigZNdPH92JZXX2voN0WAJRNHoDpEfmx1XM72JsUXSf94Mq-cWjsDjBIY1oZOjbQckqh2hRb9P3TLweH0TZFVn-a61NYTv0WFdHNDVhes81mFz33uRQfVtP07pHxKeSOG1nivgJPP78BxzDx91nIYi4s9szdDP6l1fUxAP8wKDU8bA/s1080/EGG%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUOQmrZCwDLZ3ToigZNdPH92JZXX2voN0WAJRNHoDpEfmx1XM72JsUXSf94Mq-cWjsDjBIY1oZOjbQckqh2hRb9P3TLweH0TZFVn-a61NYTv0WFdHNDVhes81mFz33uRQfVtP07pHxKeSOG1nivgJPP78BxzDx91nIYi4s9szdDP6l1fUxAP8wKDU8bA/s320/EGG%202.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> EGG</div><div style="text-align: center;">3 Submissions, 2 rejections, One Book!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0304S4LQ8W6ej2QD64qNoJ1nYLbA9oH2PQfURUt80ArcAIRcKI59kQ7DsWEa5a96vmaajnVsgamLf1Bub0weK61OPqg58EKPfDaUZXZ6vOkOYOE8THwaG1MgE0lasftwuhkbl1WmAwqFSo6sgknS4RsZY0LgrEb8FT8r2wgabBxHfiFk32s908wX5yg/s770/Smaller%20Egg%20Cover.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="769" data-original-width="770" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0304S4LQ8W6ej2QD64qNoJ1nYLbA9oH2PQfURUt80ArcAIRcKI59kQ7DsWEa5a96vmaajnVsgamLf1Bub0weK61OPqg58EKPfDaUZXZ6vOkOYOE8THwaG1MgE0lasftwuhkbl1WmAwqFSo6sgknS4RsZY0LgrEb8FT8r2wgabBxHfiFk32s908wX5yg/s320/Smaller%20Egg%20Cover.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span color="rgb(var(--color_13))" face="helvetica-w01-roman, helvetica-w02-roman, helvetica-lt-w10-roman, sans-serif">Written by Laura N. Clement</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span color="rgb(var(--color_13))" face="helvetica-w01-roman, helvetica-w02-roman, helvetica-lt-w10-roman, sans-serif">Illustrated by Sunny J. Choi</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span color="rgb(var(--color_13))" face="helvetica-w01-roman, helvetica-w02-roman, helvetica-lt-w10-roman, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span color="rgb(var(--color_13))" face="helvetica-w01-roman, helvetica-w02-roman, helvetica-lt-w10-roman, sans-serif">When you’re destined for greatness but can’t swim, life in a duck family is a little complicated, especially if you’re a dragon who just happens to sneeze... fire. Egg is a diverse hero on her very own journey, slightly out of place and lost in her world but surrounded by love and unknown danger. With an inspirational WHOMPBOOM! join Egg on her adventure as she discovers sometimes greatness is within you all along.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span color="rgb(var(--color_13))" face="helvetica-w01-roman, helvetica-w02-roman, helvetica-lt-w10-roman, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="helvetica-w01-roman, helvetica-w02-roman, helvetica-lt-w10-roman, sans-serif">I am sad to say that EGG is currently out of print, but I still have copies. One of THE BEST things about this experience was meeting my illustrator and becoming friends. Going through the process of creating a book together was magic, Sunny... working with you was amazing and I am thankful for it every day.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="helvetica-w01-roman, helvetica-w02-roman, helvetica-lt-w10-roman, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="helvetica-w01-roman, helvetica-w02-roman, helvetica-lt-w10-roman, sans-serif">My favorite line of the book? That has to be the onomatopoeia of a sneezing dragon, WHOMPBOOM!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="helvetica-w01-roman, helvetica-w02-roman, helvetica-lt-w10-roman, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="helvetica-w01-roman, helvetica-w02-roman, helvetica-lt-w10-roman, sans-serif">Or perhaps the first line, "Egg was destined for greatness."</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="helvetica-w01-roman, helvetica-w02-roman, helvetica-lt-w10-roman, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="helvetica-w01-roman, helvetica-w02-roman, helvetica-lt-w10-roman, sans-serif"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="helvetica-w01-roman, helvetica-w02-roman, helvetica-lt-w10-roman, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="helvetica-w01-roman, helvetica-w02-roman, helvetica-lt-w10-roman, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6505459113778015296.post-74688809714322433792023-05-03T07:30:00.000-07:002023-05-03T07:30:49.557-07:00The Rejection Garden Tree/Story 2 CROWNS<p style="text-align: center;"> <span> <i> </i></span><i>The Rejection Garden is less about rejection and more about creativity, persistence, and joy. Over the next month, I am going to share one Tree or Manuscript with you, not in its entirety, instead, I’ll post a synopsis, how many times it has been rejected and then, I’ll finish with my favorite line and include a picture of the tree and name tag. </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><b>"The good thing about rejection is that too much of it can make you more tenacious, </b></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><b>courageous, and stronger, </b></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><b>which eventually leads you to a positive outcome if you don't give up."</b></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><b>-Germany Kent</b></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></p><p><span> The second Tree/Story is CROWNS. Seen here represented by one of my Japanese Maples a Corral Bark, and she is a beauty. I moved this tree from my front yard into the Rejection Garden last fall so that it could be amongst all of the other Japanese Maples. As you can see from all of the fresh buds, it seems very happy with its move. </span></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL7zhS2oEUCcF7AXfZDx7NEHudeh2STMzpBki7FE4RZBTaMIrqiQgebT5-Q5wNAx9uJ35VD-djAPxu_Q7y25Yt1JheKFb5Z1A-YfRcBIsTU0kMjLfniPWSmyb5Eu3X-aQECZoxjJEqND77nJW5NZW9UaPVOFF54smQS207eP1-pwwOJDliRh3UuuFUPQ/s1080/CROWNS%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL7zhS2oEUCcF7AXfZDx7NEHudeh2STMzpBki7FE4RZBTaMIrqiQgebT5-Q5wNAx9uJ35VD-djAPxu_Q7y25Yt1JheKFb5Z1A-YfRcBIsTU0kMjLfniPWSmyb5Eu3X-aQECZoxjJEqND77nJW5NZW9UaPVOFF54smQS207eP1-pwwOJDliRh3UuuFUPQ/s320/CROWNS%201.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWKNh9-pJRDqr23u672Dhhdli46MbpV9BaTO4_KsLpHeL4VAhqdbRlEqzoAhxwDFk5R3Ci-G3LXMMdg2DlrkdBiTOi9qxgYfQSQXqA1bjERkMkFgQCKU-KtrZVPNY9XQH4OJ6yw73Y1Zv9G2rJoQJk3hihQ-yGdvLAym3ZCA-0PI3AKKJfKebg9VqTyA/s1080/CROWNS%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWKNh9-pJRDqr23u672Dhhdli46MbpV9BaTO4_KsLpHeL4VAhqdbRlEqzoAhxwDFk5R3Ci-G3LXMMdg2DlrkdBiTOi9qxgYfQSQXqA1bjERkMkFgQCKU-KtrZVPNY9XQH4OJ6yw73Y1Zv9G2rJoQJk3hihQ-yGdvLAym3ZCA-0PI3AKKJfKebg9VqTyA/s320/CROWNS%202.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">CROWNS</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">28 Submissions, into acquisitions at 3 publishers, but never beyond.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Word Count: 208</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span> </span>Character-driven CROWNS, for ages 4 and up, highlights an autistic voice who uses art as a means of connection and communication to illuminate her joy and hope. The beauty of Mia’s world like Amelie (movie) weaves sensory vignette’s together from within a solitary adventure like that of Harold and the Purple Crayon.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span> </span>With her favorite pair of giraffe scissors, tape, and paper, Mia’s repetitive behavior proves that her art has the power to expand and brighten the world. CROWNS creates a safe place for the reader to listen, question and push beyond norms while highlighting one voice from the rainbow chorus which is the Autism spectrum.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span> </span>This manuscript is my heart on the page, hence the continued effort to submit it. My favorite line? I love the repetition of "In...snip, Out...snap, Zig, Zag, Zip...Rip...Place." But it is the line,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><h2 style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"I start again."</h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">that really hits home for me.</div><div><br /></div></div><p class="ydpab72f4b0msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0