RESULTS OF THE POLL!!

When I chose this poll to do, I choose those quotes based on what kind of writers I thought there were. This is what I came up with.

"Fortune favors the brave." -Terence
This one made me think of the writers who put everything on the line to accomplish their dreams. Whether its quitting a regular job to write or choosing to self-publish and market their own book. These people never give up and will always work towards accomplishing what they want because they have the guts to do it. Anyone who has sent a query out knows the bravery it takes to be in this industry.

"Our greatest glory is not in never failing but in rising every time we fall." -Confucius
These writers are like the ones above in the way that they never give up, but even more than that...they find that every setback makes them a stronger and more capable writer.

"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm." -Emerson
We all know these writers on the blogs. They're the ones you go to when you're having a bad day or can't seem to write the way you want. They almost always have a positive attitude and can find the light in the deepest dark. For these writers, the setbacks they get can make them pause for a bit, but before long they can find something good about the situation whether telling themselves that it will make a great story when they're famous or discovering a new friend through the bad experience.

"Constant dripping hollows out a stone." -Lucretius
These writers are the ones that will write forever, knowing eventually they will accomplish. They may not be in any rush to do so. They take their time and make things as perfect as possible and don't rush into trying to gain literary success. To them, a setback is more of a challenge to see if they can still make their dreams come true.

Do you think what you choose was accurate for you? If you didn't vote, which do you think you fall under now?

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS....

ha ha, not Carmen Sandiego! (TV show when I was growing up)

No, where have I been for the past 3 weeks and what have I been doing? Check it out below...

1. Working with kids! Not this specific kid, but I spend over 20 hours in the classroom during spring break for a mentoring project for school. 

2. Writing...I know, isn't it exciting. You may have noticed I took down the "book covers" on the left column, no worries, I'm just readjusting the story and those don't work anymore. I'm sure they'll be up again before June. 

3. Getting buried in school work...not even joking here.

4. Reorganizing the book that used to be Broken and is now back to begin called book1.
(Actual picture below. I have posted these posts on my bed near where I write. It's a bunked bed, so the spring this are from the vacant bed above me. Now, I have no excuses for "forgetting" to write. Yes, I have convinced myself that sometimes I forget entirely about my dream of writing. Though usually just on days I am exceptionally exhausted.)

5.  Remembering to breathe and live. 

Share with me what all you've been doing these last couple weeks! I hope to catch up on everyone's blog within the next couple days! I've definitely missed everyone's unique POV and advice.

Results of the Poll!

I checked the poll last night and it was a 3 way tie between tomato, corn and green beans but some late votes stole the show and the result was a last ditch attempt by those corn lovers who squeased in a 1 vote victory over the tomato fanatics. So, I'm presenting some fun facts about each of the top 3 veggie picks!

Corn:

• AKA Maise
• It is technically in the grass family, same family as that green stuff on your lawn.
• Originated in the Americas
• The top of the plant has the flowers, called the tassel
• When the wind blows or the plant is moved, the pollen on the tassel floats down to the silk. Each strand of silk is attached to a kernel. That's what makes the kernels develop.

Tomato:

• The stems are hairy and slightly sticky
• If the stem is planted it will begin to grow roots. If you want a sturdy tomato plant, plant the seedling deep in the soil until the first leaves are the only ones showing.
• Originated in South America
• Top producers of tomatoes are China and the United States
• Tomatoes can be stored in the refrigerator but are best kept at room temperature because they tend to loose flavor otherwise.

Green Beans:

• Related to pinto and kidney beans but unlike those mentioned, the shell is eaten before the beans inside are mature.
• Originated in Peru
• If fresh, it is best to store them in the refrigerator's crisper drawer. They'll last about a week.
• Great for heart and colon health
• Most beans at picking time are around 4 inches in length.
• If fresh beans are still good, and audible "snap" will be heard. If they're bad, they'll have a spongy texture and be hard to break.
• Commonly referred to as a "string bean" though most no longer have a fibrous string that gives it the name

I hope everyone has a great weekend! It's spring break for me so if I don't post regularly that's why!  

AWARD!

About a week ago, I got the sunshine award from the lovely, Deb L. Strange at Ranch Girl Ramblings. Thank you so much!!! Go check out her blog, she has a unique way of looking at things that make her posts a great read and a must stop.

I get to pass this award on to 5 other lovely bloggers who seem to radiate sunshine through their posts!

Valerie Geary- I can't say enough about this girl's monthly genre posts. Each month she takes a new genre and has book reviews, author interviews, and interesting tidbits about that genre. Great place for anyone exploring the literary industry.
Haley- I hope she's back for a good long time after her break. She shares her writing experiences, failures and accomplishments with honesty that makes reader connect to her as a writer.
Tamika- another great blogger who writes about her faith, family, and writing in a way that inspires all her readers. I always leave her blog feeling better about everything.
Aubrie- an accomplished writer who gives shares with readers her journey through ebook publishing and writing. She has had a swarm of great ebooks come out recently and I've never read one that I haven't enjoyed.
Amy Tate- a great blogger who shares her family, writing experiences and life on her blog in humorous inspiring ways. She has recently been published by Chicken for the Soul: NASCAR edition!

Once again, if you haven't check out these amazing bloggers please do so, I know you'll leave their blog feeling blessed, inspired, smiling, and touched by sunshine.

Going for the Gold, or Silver, or Bronze, or Your Individual Platform

The Olympics are over and I can't help but think of that with a frown. I love the Olympics. As a friend pointed out to me just yesterday they're more than just competitions for the best in the world.  They're more than the final metal counts (though I do like to see my country in the lead). They're just as much, if not more, about the fact that for a few weeks we can all become "good sports" and value other countries, not for their political agendas, leaders, or resources, but value them because despite differences in culture, cuisine, and language....we're all human. They prove we can get along while we compete and be better for it.  

This is where my analogy comes in (you all know how much I love analogies and I just couldn't pass this one up). Some of us will be those countries with 37 metals/books, the best writing facilities in the world, and celebrities in our chosen field. We might even give away some of our coveted secrets to how we struck gold. Some of us will be writers who are good and occasionally great. We'll have a smattering of silvers and bronzes with a couple golds tossed in the mix. Others will have just three metals and it won't matter if they're bronze, gold, silver, or...platinum (sorry, I couldn't resist). We'll just be happy that we've done our best. Finally, some of us will stay where we are now. We'll be in the field competing for the fun and rush we get of discovering our latest achievement. We may never get a metal or even close, but we do it, because we love it. 

People write for all different reasons. Some do it because they want to be the greatest on Earth, to be the one with more gold metals than ever. Others do it because they enjoy it. Turning it into something serious takes away all the fun for them. They'd rather just do what they want and figure out their own way, whether that leads to publication or not. 

I think we often forget that not everyone is on the same track as us. Just because we are all in the same sport doesn't mean we've all gotten to this place the same way, or that we're all trying to get to the same place on the podium. We all create our own podiums and they change as we change. It doesn't matter that some of us will never write 37 books and be uber-famous because that's not our goal. In the end, it's what we as, not as "writers," but as "individuals who write" wish for ourselves. We have to be satisfied with what we have done and not look back with regrets. 

What are your goals? How did you get to where you are? What "self-awarded" metal do you hope to achieve?