I'm working on motivation, too (grin)!
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Have you already submitted an essay? If so, GREAT! If not, the deadline for submissions has been extended to March 30th, 2011.
Please look through the checklist here to make sure you have submitted all of the needed information:
____Essay
____Personal Biography, optional--up to 90 words
____Blog link and description, optional
____Pictures, optional--for bio and/or other
____Author Release Form, original mailed via USPS, copy kept for self
____Photographer Release Form, original mailed via USPS, copy kept for self
____Model Release Form, original mailed via USPS, copy kept for self
____Home address—Where do I send your personal copies of the finished project? If you could, please email this to me. If you are moving this summer, I could wait until you have a new house address.
THANK YOU to those who have already sent in their documents! For the rest, I hope the checklist will help you pull the rest of the forms together and get them in to me. I need the release forms before publication, which is planned for June of this year.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me at: milspousebooks@gmail.com.
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Only one week until the essay submission deadline! That said, a few people have asked for an extension, as Spring Break with their children is next week. This is something I am definitely considering, extending the deadline until the end of the month. Would this help some of you with finishing up your essays?
The essays keep rolling in--THANK YOU! I am blown away by the range of experiences that you are sharing. I even teared up while reading a few recent essays. Once the show up in my inbox, I scan through them, reformat them to fit my standard format, categorize them to see where they fit in my basic outline, etc. I will work on full organizing and editing after the March 15th deadline. If you have any questions, I will try to answer them as soon as possible.
Your essays are confirming the goal of this project, to bring together a range of Army spouse experiences that NEED to be shared with other spouses. The range of essays varies from newlywed spouses to Army spouses with decades of experience to share with others. It is so exciting to hear that some writers are learning more about themselves as they write, too--yeah! These are definitely essays I would have like to read 20 years ago, and can't wait to share with other spouses. Thank you for sending them in!
If you haven't sent in an essay yet, no worries! There are still a couple of weeks for you to sit down and compose one. If you are stumped for essay ideas, you can read some of the suggestions listed in the blog posts, and on the pages to the right. When I hit a writing block, I pick up the phone, call a friend and we just start talking about what we've experienced through the years. Before I realize it, we've talked over a few good topics for essays! Keeping a notepad around to record those ideas has been very helpful.
Remember to not worry about your writing style--write in your own "voice". I may edit some of what you've written just a little bit (with your approval before printing), but it's important to me that your character comes through in your writing. One of my best friends told my husband that she's worried about her writing style, that it's not "print worthy". I know this gal very well, and I would love to receive anything from her. She knows I would help her with any necessary editing. My friend has lived an amazing life as an Army brat and spouse, and has a wealth of experiences to share with other spouses. If she doesn't send me something soon, I'll have to tell some stories of my own... (nudge, nudge, wink, wink)!
Yes, the most difficult part of writing can be just sitting down and getting your thoughts on paper. I am not grading these essays. I will work WITH you to make sure we put together the best project possible.
Keep sending in the essays! I have been so moved to read what you've already shared, and can't wait to read more!
Your essays are confirming the goal of this project, to bring together a range of Army spouse experiences that NEED to be shared with other spouses. The range of essays varies from newlywed spouses to Army spouses with decades of experience to share with others. It is so exciting to hear that some writers are learning more about themselves as they write, too--yeah! These are definitely essays I would have like to read 20 years ago, and can't wait to share with other spouses. Thank you for sending them in!
If you haven't sent in an essay yet, no worries! There are still a couple of weeks for you to sit down and compose one. If you are stumped for essay ideas, you can read some of the suggestions listed in the blog posts, and on the pages to the right. When I hit a writing block, I pick up the phone, call a friend and we just start talking about what we've experienced through the years. Before I realize it, we've talked over a few good topics for essays! Keeping a notepad around to record those ideas has been very helpful.
Remember to not worry about your writing style--write in your own "voice". I may edit some of what you've written just a little bit (with your approval before printing), but it's important to me that your character comes through in your writing. One of my best friends told my husband that she's worried about her writing style, that it's not "print worthy". I know this gal very well, and I would love to receive anything from her. She knows I would help her with any necessary editing. My friend has lived an amazing life as an Army brat and spouse, and has a wealth of experiences to share with other spouses. If she doesn't send me something soon, I'll have to tell some stories of my own... (nudge, nudge, wink, wink)!
Yes, the most difficult part of writing can be just sitting down and getting your thoughts on paper. I am not grading these essays. I will work WITH you to make sure we put together the best project possible.
Keep sending in the essays! I have been so moved to read what you've already shared, and can't wait to read more!
A spouse told me a last week that she wrote a good portion of her essay, then became discouraged and set it down. A few of days later she picked her essay back up again, scanned through it and decided, "It's not that bad!"
Sometimes we need to write, take a break, then look at our work with fresh eyes and from a new perspective. Thank you for writing your essays and sending them in--keep them coming!
Sometimes we need to write, take a break, then look at our work with fresh eyes and from a new perspective. Thank you for writing your essays and sending them in--keep them coming!
