Writing and Living the Dream

Every day I wake up and thank God I get to do what I do.

Here are those three things: writing, selling vintage, and being a mom.

While the mom thing is permanent, and I'll be that for as long as I'm alive (and I'm so glad I can), the vintage and writing are choices I make every day to do because I want to.

I write all the time. From articles for the magazine I work for, to articles and stories I submit freelance, to middle grade fiction (I am working on one...I promise. It's nearly done), every now and then something gets published and it makes my day.

Selling vintage is a whole different world and genre, so feel free to go to my other blog for that.◄ But that is just as amazing for me.

Just a few days ago, I was published once again by Chicken Soup for the Soul, and this time, in their latest book Kindness Matters.

At my desk...where all the magic happens.

This is my third time being published by them and let me tell you, that euphoric feeling with the acceptance letter doesn't get old.

If you're looking for some inspirational stories -- for the concept that good people and good things happen to people all the time all around us -- I'd recommend this book. Every story creates hope and allows us a peek inside everyday people's lives to see that there truly kind people out there.

Thank you, Chicken Soup, for trudging through submissions and picking mine...again.

Click here to get a copy or wherever books are sold. You'll be glad you did.

Keep writing!

-HJS

Comments

Characters That Work

I’ve heard countless times that agents, when looking for the next great manuscript and readers, looking for the next great read, want compelling characters. But, what does this mean? Compelling? And why have I never thought of characters as compelling when I can’t put the book down? Sure, these characters are amazing, and sometimes I want to be in the middle of the stories as if they were my own experiences. But why? Compelling characters make me --force me-- to be in love with them as they find their way through trials or charge fearlessly down hidden hallways and dark forests. This makes for wonderful literature, and for fascinated readers. But how do we do this? How do authors create compelling characters -- ones that not only we want to read but others too -- and convince our readers that they should care about them? Here’s a tiny list by which I try to strive: Make them human: This is a given. And most writers would tell you this is. Give your character flaws that lots o

Increasing Your Vocabulary │ Overused Words

My husband and I have this running joke that if we played a drinking game for the first -- and only the first-- five minutes of any news segment, anywhere in America, we'd be under the table in two. Why? Because this drinking game is based on the repeated use of the word "impact." It's okay if you can hate me now. Because after this post, you will notice this word EVERYWHERE and how overused it is. I get it. The word is impactful. It makes a point. Pulls a punch. But ... it's beyond this, my friends. It's overwhelmingly beyond this now. I also understand that each decade has it's colloquial and trendy words. Totally understand that. I can dig that, yo. But, there's an all-out assault on this word. And most of the time, it's used incorrectly. Do you know what the word impact means? Per Merriam-Webster, it means 1. a.: to fix firmly by or as if my packing or wedging b.: to press together 2. a.: to have a direct effect or i

Make a List │ Getting Things Done

Like many of you, I am a list-maker. I find them to be one of the most rewarding things I can do in my little life. Well, that and drinking coffee and wearing vintage. But, I digress. List-making really only consists of three things: paper, a pen, and your brain. While there are myriad articles and books on tidying up and minimal living (both of which I fully embrace), living a simple and minimal life can also start just by making a list. So, why should you write a list? Three reasons: it's simple, it's in front of you, and anyone can be master of their world with one. Yes, dare I say master of your universe. Pretty amazing, right? That little list holds your sanity, order and clarity. And those are all we really need. Check out this list I wrote the other day: I listed the errands I had to run (go to post office, then to Salvation Army and Goodwill to find my vintage to sell). I listed the work I had to do (list two items items for sale on my vintage Etsy site,

A Work in Progress

Search This Blog