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Jun. 13th, 2009

  • 10:39 PM

Car broke down and can't fix it. Knee broke down and can't get to the doctor. Laptop breaking down and better be able to replace it or I'll scream.

I sure hope tomorrow is better.



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Advice needed!!!!

  • Jun. 6th, 2009 at 1:09 AM

I just read a story I wrote a couple years ago. I absolutely love it. I want to submit it somewhere, but not sure where it might fit. I wrote it as a long picture book with a word count of 1245 words. It even has a short introduction. It's a book about an 8 or 9 year old girl who has a mother with bi-polar disorder. The story is mature in nature but I know kids at 6, 7 or 8 have to deal with this every day and might understand only a little of what is going on.

I want to submit this story but I don't know where to send it.  I need help.

Thanks.



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It's so hot!

  • Jun. 5th, 2009 at 8:12 PM

I like winter. I can always curl up with a nice book next to the fire and stay warm (does that sound girly?). My point is that in winter we can cover up. We can burn a fire. We can put on more clothes, coats, anything. We can get warm so much easier than we can cool off.

I can't wait for October when it will be back in the 80s here in Texas. It should be around 100 here tomorrow. Egads!!!!



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Monotony? Am I spelling this right?

  • Jun. 5th, 2009 at 7:56 PM

That's what it is when I send out newsletter after newsletter to churches every month in an effort to get some financial support for our domestic missionary work. It's monotonous. Especially when I never hear anything back from the churches. Even those who have said, "We'll help you out with a little bit each month," never contact me back. 

I try to be proactive and call back. I did this with one minister after sending him our updates each month and when I called, he didn't even know who I was. We're about to have to give up our dream of ministry which might seem a little strange for some. We have a church called "Zach's House." It's a church of small groups or some might call it a network of micro-churches. We meet in Starbucks, pizzerias an assisted living center and in homes. We also attend a regular church on Sunday mornings, but most of the people we deal with don't. The thing we care about most is people, loving them and helping those in need who live in our community. I've been in too many churches that don't welcome people because they think, look or act different than typical church members and my wife and I and our work with Zach's House is trying to change that, the best we can.

The reason this is on my mind tonight is that I just sent out 125 newsletters via email and I know, if history repeats itself, I won't get one reply. And oh yeah, another thing I find monotonous is when I call a church and speak with some extremely rude people. I know, it's not all of them, but these rude individuals which I've experienced too many of, are probably the reason why 83% of Americans don't go to church.

Okay, enough of my monotonous LJ post. I hope y'all agree it's been my only rant on LJ. Please don't stop following me because of this rant. Ooops, that's Twitter. Okay, please don't disengage our virtual friendship on LJ because of this. For anyone that reads this entire entry, you should win an award. : ) 


Brian



 




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Twitter

  • Jun. 5th, 2009 at 7:52 PM

I know some of you tweet. Are there any of my friends that I'm missing on Twitter? Just reply here if you've got a Twitter account and I'm not yet following you.

I love tweeting. I love LJ too. I'm just not logged in enough on LJ. Need to get back more often.

Talk to y'all later,

Brian





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Finally using my critiques

  • May. 25th, 2009 at 9:53 PM

I've spend the past few days pouring over critiques and revising a few PBs A couple of them are hopeless, for now. But I fell in love with one of my stories all over again. I actually didn't have a lot to revise from the critiques. I can't wait to get this pb out to a few publishers. Hope to send it tomorrow. It's been sitting on my hard drive for months.

Philomel is still open to unsolicited subs right? At least that's what the Penguin site said last time I checked.



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Happy Mother's Day to all my livejournal mother friends.  I hope you're blessed today with children who say "yes ma'am" or at least "yes mom" and husbands that will not let you lift a finger. Praises to you for all your hard work.



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Finished the first draft of revision

  • May. 10th, 2009 at 9:45 AM

This update is about one month old. I finished revising the cowboy bedtime story but added too many words, I think. I made it more Texas themed as requested and even added aliens. : ) 

I'll trade about anything, even my second born child, for a pair of eyes to check out what I've done. By the way, you might have to wait a while for my second born child. There are no plans in the future for such a being to exist. 

 



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Revision

  • Apr. 4th, 2009 at 1:13 PM

Okay, my mom is getting on my case about not getting my revision done that I need to send back to Whitman. I told her I'd do it today or at least get started on it. I can usually revise pretty easily. But I'm having a very hard time how to make my cowboyish story have more of a Texas feel and on to make it read more like a folk tale. Someone refresh me on what makes a story more fairy-tale like. I'm not a dunce, but this is difficult. Might revise it four different ways to see what reads best.

Talk to you later,
Brian
 




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Writing Picture Books

  • Mar. 30th, 2009 at 2:09 PM

Nothing is as fun as drifting away from the worries and problems of the real world and creating a character, a world, a problem and a solution and trying to do that in 600 words or less (or more if absolutely necessary). I love writing picture books. It's fun. It's therapeutic. It's great to get encouragement from others and some kind words from editors on occasion. I'm looking forward to that day when I can spend much more time writing. Until then, I'll keep plodding along. Plod... plod....plod.






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