Inauguration Day – Part 2

The woman just showed up at my door. Right when the tv was on showing future history in the making. Or so everyone is saying anyway. But if this cold shiny day was so historical, why wasn’t she somewhere at least watching this history-making event? As I was, who never really pays much attention to these things. As I mentioned yesterday, I’ve already seen too much of what people say, even Presidents taking office, that are not anything the same, or sometimes even similar, to what they do once the time for promises is deemed over.

I wonder if that was what she thought, this woman with the seemingly gentle spirit and dark skin. She didn’t even ring the doorbell. She just knocked, and patiently knocked again, all the while standing there on the sunny but very cold porch.

She smiled as she held out her tract relaying what I hope is her deepest belief. I sure hope so given her appearance in the frosty cold to suspicious strangers holding their doors only partially open. I hope she’s not deluding herself in this hard weather for less, questionable, beliefs.

I thought I understood some of these beliefs, having been accosted by less gentle folks than her over the years. Although I can’t remember any being as belligerent as some that have shown up on our doorstep uninvited, and rude. But even with her gentle-seeming voice and demeanor it did not convince me to open the door and invite her in. I already knew that those questions she said she had the answers to were not a part of my beliefs. But I was feeling the cold for me and her and was almost ready to reach out and take the tract she was holding out and talking about. I could already see myself dropping it into the recycle sack as I returned to my seat observing history in the making. But something in me took a quiet stand and I looked at her and gave her a big smile, saying quietly, “I don’t need it.” She smiled back, “You have a blessed day.” I replied, “You too.” And I shut the door on the cold. But not on the questions that she raised being on my porch on this historic of days.

James River Writers Conference Questions/Answers

I thought I'd do a few posts on the James River Writers Conference from this this past weekend.
And while I'd like to say it was brilliant thinking on my part to come up with this ;-p
it was actually more Adriana Trigiana's idea than mine.
What can I say but the woman is amazing! ;)

But hopefully there will be posts that will be helpful to any that stumble across this blog.

This post was brought to mind by a question posed by someone in the audience at the session I had with Adriana.
Not that I remember what the person's question was actually, more of her statement that people of ethnic minorities, such as Latinos, can't get published.
I do remember Adriana's reaction to that. After it looked like she had reigned herself in a bit she forcefully declared, "Write a good book and the publishers will publish it!"

The woman came up to the stage to talk to Adriana after the session and I asked the woman if she had been at last year's, 2007, James River Writers Conference, and met Marcela Landres.
She replied that she hadn't.
I told her to go to Marcela's site for all kinds of great information as Marcela is a Big advocate of getting writers published, and Especially interested in the Latino marketplace and stories, and getting them published.

Google is a Wondrous thing my friends!

Especially for writers, and writers on their way to being published. [nice spin that, don't you think? Instead of newbie writers or beginning writers....

But for those that don't Google, for some strange unearthly reason that I cannot even imagine - I did a quick Google to get to Marcela for you.


Marcela Landres. Helping writers get published. If you write, I created this web site for you. In the seven years I worked as an editor at Simon & Schuster, ...www.marcelalandres.com/

Latina Experience: Marcela Landres
A couple of years ago I had the pleasure of attending an intriguing publishing workshop hosted by Marcela Landres. To our surprise, we found out that ...www.para-mi.net/Features/LatinaExperience/VisionaryMarcelaLandres.htm



So there. I give you two entries, go forth and read.
There is work involved in all this writing and getting published stuff that involves more than just writing the book guys!

Marcela is actually a real sweetie too. Good thing, since she's so blasted attractive I don't want to stand very close to her.
James River Writers were actually fortunate to have her here for two of our Conferences, 2006 and 2007 I think.

Not to mention she edited my favorite Feng Shui book when she was still an editor at Simon and Schuster -
Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life: How to Use Feng Shui to Get Love, Money, Respect, and Happiness - by Karen Rauch Carter


There are so many opportunities of all kinds available now, from being able to use Google to find and research -- although it is helpful to remember that all you find out there is not exactly accurate -- to being to find publishing opportunities online as well as in print.
One of things I appreciated so much about Marcela, she not only tells you what you need to do to build a career as a writer, she tells you how to go about it!
And how many of us have sat in sessions and read articles in magazines that talk all about what you should be doing to move into and along in a writing career, such as doing magazine articles etc... But feeling so frustrated because they don't even give you an inkling of how to actually go about doing Any of it!

Which brings me back to the James River Writers Conferences. And all the great opportunites offered when you attend them. From just mingling with other writers that are in various stages of work and careers so you are sure to find someone with similarities to talk with, to also being able to talk to well-known established writers and being able to actually talk with and learn from them.
Truly a wonderful opportunity.
So even though you missed this year's, 2008, James River Writers Conference, make plans to invest in yourself, invest in your writing career and come mingle with us for the 2009 Conference to be held October 9th and 10th. Also be sure to check the link to the JRW site I've listed at the side for all the monthly chances to mingle, such as the great Writing Shows each month.
Come, smile, and say hello!

Questions, questions, questions

As a writer it seems I always have questions, and always want to really ask most of them. Hopefully not being too annoying about it, but I have boundless curiosity and really want to know, well, a lot of things. But as I saw recently it’s not just about questions, it’s about asking the right questions. Not just to get answers for my own benefit but to get people to answer questions for themselves. Most people don’t want to be told anything, not really. Even just trying to caution or warn can get very tricky, since from what I’ve seen it seems most people really have their minds made up anyway. But if you can ask them questions, the right questions, they can figure things out for themselves. Which is as it should be, since they probably aren’t really listening to you anyway, they are only hearing what they want to hear. But from a young age we are taught to answer questions, whether aloud or just to ourselves. So if we ask the right questions hopefully they’ll be answered. If only for ourselves.

So, what questions should I be asking you?