Old Soul Photography

Little Red

2012-05-18T11:54:00.001-05:00

It's been far too long since I was able to take photographs. My last semester at college has finally come to an end, so hopefully that will mean more time for photos! Here are the photos from my latest shoot of Little Red Riding Hood. Let me know what you think ;)

Two Thousand Eleven

2012-01-01T22:28:00.000-06:00

January
The beginning of 2011 started with a blanket of snow and gave me a chance to relax and reflect before my second semester at UCA. I enjoy the quiet simplicity of winter, the bare trees, and flights of birds.

February

February came quietly and was filled with an unusual amount of snow days and cozying up with Devin and playing angry birds on his playstation :3

March
March is one of my favorite months seasonally because spring starts to peak through and its so delicate and fragile against the closing of winter. In March, I took portraits of my sister, visited with friends on Pinnacle Mountain, and celebrated my love's 23rd birthday.

April

In April, I celebrated my 21st birthday, soaked in the warmth of spring, and I kept the end of another semester of school in sight.

May

May was a busy month with the end of my spring semester at UCA, my dad graduating with his teaching degree around the time of his 50th birthday, and Devin and I were outside every chance we could get before our summer classes began.

I started my internship with the Arkansas Shakespeare Theater as a dramaturge for the play As You Like It and shared a temporary apartment with an actress and a costume designer and I enjoyed sharing their company.

June

June was another fruitful month as my internship was in full swing and I stayed busy with my dramaturge duties. I still found time to enjoy the freedom of summer and its electricity in the air.

July
July marked the end of my internship and the beginning of my photography page on facebook and my first apartment. I visited with family, celebrated my mother and cousin's birthday, and was in awe of the fireworks as I always am each 4th of July.

August
The end of summer came too quickly and before I knew it another semester of school was on its way. I stayed busy setting up my apartment and spending time with family whenever I could. My little brother turned 12 years old, and it's hard to believe that next year he'll be a teenager.

In August, I also began taking pictures for the college newspaper which gave me an opportunity to attend some great events throughout the semester.

September
In September I continued to take pictures in between my first semester as a Senior at UCA. My facebook page was growing, but I was just happy to display the facets of my imagination for everyone to see. I celebrated my sister's 24th birthday and watched the fall leaves begin to turn into ruby and golden hues.

October
Each year, October always proves to be an eventful month and 2011 was no different. I had my first baby photo session along with an alluring mask photo shoot with a friend of mine. My little sister turned 15.

I balanced my English and Creative Writing classes all while working my student worker job and working as a photographer for the newspaper. I went to Cool Shoes for Halloween for the third year, my favorite yet! & I got comfortable in my lovely little apartment.

November
November was a mixture of stress and comfort as I spent many nights working on essays and writing stories. Amidst this stress though I was able to visit with family for Thanksgiving as we caught up over the past few years & since I was 21 I was finally able to go out with my sister and cousin to have some fun and see the city night life in Arkansas.

Other highlights of November were getting to take pictures with a wonderful girl in some awesome locations for my book worm idea and going to the Iron & Wine concert to take pictures for the paper :3

December
Once finals were over and I was on my two week vacation from work, the end of 2011 slowed down and I was able to take in my boyfriend's graduation, spending Christmas with my family and loved animals, going to Mount Magazine and sipping wine and enjoying dessert for our 3 year anniversary :3

The New Years was filled with fun, friends, and family and I couldn't think of a better way to bring in the new year.

While I didn't exactly make a New Year's resolution, my hope for 2012 is that with the help of my family and my love I will grow as a person and an artist & always take time to enjoy the little wonders in life.

Between the Pages

2011-12-26T02:04:00.000-06:00

I don't know about you, but I've always been fascinated with books, especially libraries and old book stores. I love the quiet nature of books and how they can unravel our imagination and still keep their charm for years to come. To put it simply, I think there's something magical about books and our connection with them.

I had been thinking about this theme for a long time and I could not be happier with the outcome from miss Ashley Greene :3 These photographs tell the story of a girl whose love of books transports her between fantasy and reality.

Thank you to Vintage Books for letting us capture some great pictures in your store! & as always, you can see more pictures at my facebook and flickr page.

Happy Holidays from an Old Soul

Masked Beauty

2011-12-10T23:43:00.001-06:00

Lori Roberson was one of the contest winners on my facebook page at Old Soul Photography. She won 2nd place for getting the most likes for one of her pictures : ) In return, we came up with this photoshoot theme. I think it's simple, elegant, seductive, and the fall colors really stood out against the black mask and dress. I lovvved working with the water in the background too. If you've got a flickr account, don't forget to add my account here & don't be shy and leave me some feedback while you're at it ;3

Gabriel, full of smiles

2011-10-20T22:35:00.001-05:00

Little Gabriel was the first baby I've ever worked with. He was such a good sport though! I love how babies are curious about their surroundings, and Gabriel was definitely interested in everything going on. It was a challenge to keep the little guy still, but I think we managed to capture some good moments :) And hey, now I can say I've worked with children, haha. Check out my flickr account for more photos (or the same ones at a higher quality ;)

Alicia, Pin Up Fun

2011-10-09T10:27:00.000-05:00

Alicia is a friend of mine who has always loved Pin Up. She has several books with pictures of these fun-loving girls, and even a tatoo :) I thought we'd give this popular theme a try and I loved the results! The floral dress is something I picked up at a local flea market, and Alicia provided the skirt and used the top from a school girl costume. The location of this photo shoot was really enjoyable to work with too because no one was at this little amusement park so we had the whole place to roam around ourselves! I hope you enjoy these pictures, and for more visit my flickr account!

Wonderland Girls

2011-10-09T09:57:00.000-05:00

Many photographers attempt the "Alice in Wonderland" theme since it is so whimsical and influential in the imaginative sense. Instead of going with the usual girl in a Alice costume though, I wanted to create something a little more diverse.

So, after planning with my sisters, Sara and Jessica, this is what we came up with! If you have ever seen the music video "What are you waiting for?" by Gwen Stephani, I wanted to go with more of a harajuku Alice. Of course you can't have Alice without some teacups and rabbitts too! This was a really fun shoot to edit and it reminds me why I love working with themes so much. For more pictures visit my flickr account.

Nicole, Modern Tiger Lily

2011-08-20T14:46:00.004-05:00

As soon as I started talking to Nicole about doing a Native American photo shoot, I could tell she was dedicated to the idea 100%. Nicole helped tremendously by gathering all sorts of genuine Native American accessories such as brightly beaded hair pins, dream catchers, and pelts. She even did her homework on the face paint! Nicole was a photographer's dream come true, and I'm sure this shoot will not be our last.

Kelsey, Natural Beauty

2011-07-26T19:36:00.007-05:00

Even though Kelsey and I left the realm of her grandparent's forest with vine cuts, seed ticks, and a rosy cheeks (or at least on my part), we were able to create some forest magic in these photographs, and let Kelsey's natural beauty tell the story.

Literary Analysis

2010-12-08T19:45:00.000-06:00

Rain Taxi: The mission of Rain Taxi’s quarterly publications is to foster engagement with innovative writing. The magazine tries to accomplish this with feature interviews from upcoming writers, as well as in-depth reviews on literary fiction, nonfiction, poetry. From an aesthetical standpoint, this magazine is not all that pleasing for those who enjoy the bookish feel instead of that of an old school, black and white newspaper type of publication. The magazine is also nonprofit, and it shows as advertising adorn every page and often distract from the actual print (at least for me.) On the bright side, many of the ads are literary related, so the ads at least pertain to the field of writing. But enough about the visuals, one can’t judge a book by its ads only, right?

Although the ascetic of this magazine is a bit drab, the actual content is anything but. Because I only have one magazine thus far, I feel I cannot get a complete gage at what the magazine’s audience is, however, I feel that the published reviews in the edition I have offer a way to entice contemporary readers to the poetry, fiction, or nonfiction being discussed in the magazine. Even the interviews are contemporary since it is about the two authors, with one of the books titled Talk Thai: The Adventures of a Buddhist boy and the second, The Latehomecomer: A Hmong Family Memoir. Chances are you haven’t heard of these books, and the same unfamiliarity can be said about the books and poems being reviewed, but I kind of liked how the magazine chose to focus more on the quirky, off-beat writing instead of what’s current in the literary world. I imagine the audience ranges from college students to readers in their 40s and 50s, as long as they’re not prudish I suppose. Overall, Rain Taxi offers an outlet for readers seeking some contemporary tastes in writing, and the reviews are honest, insightful, and can easily capture or kill a reader’s interest in the book.

A Public Space: This fairly new independent magazine is complied of art, fiction, poetry, and essays. That new book smell and an artsy appearance, check. Interesting writings, peculiar photographs, and abstract art, check, check, and check. This book intrigued me on several different levels from the magazine’s intellectual, visual, and innovative style. From looking at the back of the contributing authors and poets however, a reader would have to have some serious writing credentials under their belt before considering submitting to this publication.

When I discovered that this magazine is from New York, I wasn’t surprised. To me, the magazine has that urban, cultural union that brings together different contemporary media together. For that reason, I would say that this magazine is marketed towards anyone with an interest in debate, stories, and art, all of which appeal to me and I’m sure countless of other college students and adults. However, if a reader is looking for more traditional sort of magazine with pictures of artwork that would go well in the family room, or a magazine that abstains from thought provoking stories, I would recommend a different magazine entirely. This magazine is aimed for an eclectic, current audience and it achieves that with its artistic expressions in the written and visual worlds.

Pedophiles, NaNoWriMo, and Autumn, oh my!

2010-11-28T16:57:00.000-06:00

Oh yes, you read that title correctly. All three of those subjects sparked my interest for new literary news, but for further explanation let me begin by going over each of the articles I read on The Best Damn Creative Writing blog (and yes it was a coincidence that they all happen to be sourced from this blog). I recommend this blog site for anyone looking for to quench some blog seeking thirst with the site’s wide variety of fresh picked topics.

But I digress. First, I read an article about one man’s self published e-book sold on Amazon.com, and the outrage resulted from it. The book titled The Pedophiles Guide to Love and Pleasure: A Child-Lovers Code of Conduct was written by Phillip R Greaves II, and “offers tips to pedophiles for dealing with their “‘sexuality’” and getting away with it.’” At first, Amazon defended the sale of the book by stating:

“Amazon believes it is censorship not to sell certain books simply because we or others believe their message is objectionable. Amazon does not support or promote hatred or criminal acts, however, we do support the right of every individual to make their own purchasing decisions.”

While this book definitely gets a check in the disturbing category, I must concur with Amazon’s statement. Maybe it’s just me, but I highly doubt that one book is going to corrupt the masses of readers out there. I do not think one can stand for the removal of book banning without including all books, no matter how controversial it may be. However, all the naysayers to this belief can sleep well since the e-book was removed on November 11^th, after selling one copy.

Also on the Best Damn Creative Writing Blog was an article link to Laura Miller’s distaste in November’s National Writing Month, aka NaNoWriMo. After googling this syllable, I realized that this wasn’t some new iPod nano application, but 30 days of writing to complete a 50,000 word novel. The idea seems harmless enough, and unites fellow writers in all their turmoil and triumphs of getting that first draft out and casting aside all meticulous corrections. But according to Miller’s article, too many writers forget this it is meant to be a draft, ignoring the website’s tutorials and advice on the importance of revision. Miller states “editors and agents are already flinching in anticipation of the slapdash manuscripts they’ll shortly receive.” One editor even wrote that they worst queries begin with “‘I’ve just finished writing my NaNoWriMo novel…’”

While I don’t find the NaNoWriMo concept as “laughable” as Mrs. Miller, I do think she makes a solid point that it is daunting for editors to receive submissions without some prior revision. After all, the goal of NaNoWriMo is to quantity over quality, and the chances of an instant Oprah Book Club seller is probably about as likely as getting hit by lightening. Perhaps writers get caught up in the enthusiasm during the month of November, and after their brain is nearly fried with writing they think publishing is the next step. Most writers do not look forward to revision because of the constant changes and persistence it requires, but it is ultimately an essential step to every writer.

To end things on a lighter note, I enjoyed reading Susmita Paul’s blog called Lessons from Autumn-Encourage Change . Being a nature lover, I thought Miss Paul’s metaphor of change in writing to the change in seasons was perfect. People are creatures of habit, even if we are stifling ourselves from some real potential. As the blog states, we should invite change by creating new expressions, re-reading our work, not “numbing” your individual work by comparing it to accomplished writers, and lastly “accept the rejection letters as just another leaf in your writer’s life,” for the snow will always thaw as Paul beautifully concludes.

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving.

But of course Christmas shopping loves to steal the thunder of Thanksgiving. ;P

So to escape the shopper frenzy, why not enjoy some quiet serenity in your neighborhood? You never know if something there will inspire you.

Get Famous or Die Trying

2010-11-26T20:15:00.007-06:00

Upon first glance, Ariel Gore’s How to Become a Famous Writer Before You’re Dead seems like a mouthful and a bit morbid to aspiring writers, but within the first few pages it is clear that Mrs. Gore intends to fulfill her dear friend’s last wish of telling her all the ins and outs of writing. If you’re looking for a book that draws outside of the lines, so to say, this book is a great way to become more headstrong with your work, and consider some slightly unconventional yet provoking ideas to get recognized and above all write a good story. Gore manages to combine the charisma of a sincere friend with the enthusiasm of a personal literary coach. Her chapters are filled with fearless and frank “how tos” while still providing outside opinions and interviews from writers such as Dave Barry, Floyd Salas, and Michelle Tea.

I personally enjoyed all the snippets of quotes, and how this book does not have a dated feel to it as many of the chapters can be applied in this technology day in age. While some writing books sit back quietly on the shelves and require an energy shot to read through, this book provides the essential qualities that go into the publishing world added with the zest and knowledgeable Mrs. Gore, it’s a must for any writer who yearns to have his or her work out of the dusty file cabinets (or computer files) and into the spotlight with a bit of polish and preparation.

A Word Of Advice

2010-11-24T16:41:00.001-06:00

   In the publishing world, any amount of wisdom from one writer to another is beneficial and can offer a new approach to amateur writers like myself. Recently I was able to listen to the advice and stories of some professors at the University of Central Arkansas. Like most writers, each professor has a different way of getting their work in the literary world, as well as a certain flame that sparks their motivation to pursue their ambition as a writer.

   First up in the video interview was Robin Becker. This quirky professor not only has a book coming out in May called Brains, but she has also written a collection of short stories centered around theme parks. Talk about versatile. But even after her publishing success, Becker believes that publishing still has its hurdles, and a fair share of inevitable rejection. Becker was not hindered by rejects however, and instead she kept her eyes open in the Writer’s Market paper for possible articles and short stories she could send. What’s her advice for undergraduate writing entrepreneurs? Write. It's such a simple concept, yet so easy to neglect (especially as a college student).

   Our undergraduate years allow time for growth in our writing and knowledge about publishing, as our second professor, Mark Spitzer, concurred since he did not get serious about publishing until graduate school. Spitzer has book and publishing poetry under his belt, and manages to send out submissions but tweaking his cover letter to different editors of literary magazines. Spitzer believes that editors are interested in active writers; therefore one shouldn’t get hung up on one project. If it’s been several years since you’ve touched that last novel, why not start something new? Writer’s block has a cure. All it takes is a little time, inspiration, and keeping everything in perspective.

   Unlike the previous two professors, Gary Powell’s attitude on the publishing world can be described as a bit more pessimistic, but nonetheless his opinions are a reality check of how difficult it is to become established in the literary business. Dr. Powell whole heartedly believes that personal contacts help, which is the very way he got in contact with his agent. After numerous of submission rejections, Powell feels short story collections are not selling unless by famous authors, and that a lot of writers have fallen between not being commercial enough for novels but not quirky enough for literary magazines. In response to that belief, I think Powell needs to reassure himself that novels and literary magazines like all art can go through phases of what’s popular or “selling” and the publishing industry will undoubtedly take note since they are looking for what will bring in the most profits. I think that authors do not need to take it personal if their work is not what’s current and try to change their style to see what will sell, but instead be patient for the right time for publishing. Besides, if a work is written well enough and is interesting, I believe it can break trends and intrigue readers.

The final interviewee was John Vanderslice whose has a systematic approach to sending out to literary magazines is something to take note of. Vanderslice does his research before sending anything out to a journal, such as finding out what the journal is like, who the editor is, and of course their submission guidelines. All four of the UCA professors believed simultaneous submissions should be sought after, and Vanderslice follows this belief by sending out five to six submissions at a time. In order to keep up with all these submissions, Vanderslice keeps records with information about the date, time lapse, and magazine information. And what’s Vanderslice’s secret to continue writing and submitting his work? Persistence and a fearless attitude.

Whether you have a zealous passion , methodical, or slightly cynical belief of writing and your future in it, one thing is certain and that is to find what ignites your will to write and create your own path in doing so. In my following years as an undergraduate student, I hope to write to my heart’s content, leave a critical eye open for what market I might belong in, and be inspired by everything around me, while also listening to words of experience to fellow writers around me.

C.D. Wright

2010-11-14T18:12:00.000-06:00

     It's not easy to combine a investigative journalism into a lucid poem, but poet C.D. Wright manages to do so with effortless poignancy when she read a few pages from her newest work, “One With Others” at UCA on Tuesday. This narrative poem recounts the late 60s, when a Tennessean woman known as V led a small group of African-Americans through a little town in Arkansas during the controversial segregation disputes. V had a profound influence on Wright because of her willingness to sacrifice her career, family, and even withstand exclusion from her community for the sake of the African-American community.

   Wright was born in Mountain Home, Arkansas and the descriptive country scenery she describes illustrates her knowledge of the slow pace of the south, and the humid weather accompanied with it. Wright also intertwines newspaper headlines, politics, and her own personal memoirs. Before going to Wright’s reading, I had not heard of such combinations for poetry, but I enjoyed Wright’s illuminating and sometimes satirical tone that was prevalent throughout the poem.

   When Wright was finished reading a few sections for the poem, there was an inquiry part that I found interesting as well. Wright spoke of a few specific memories from her past that influenced the book, and I could tell that these memories burdened her as she came close to tears on more than one occasion. Wright also talked about her investigation part of the poem while emphasizing that she was not a reporter, but wanted to add some validity to the story and the town where V was from.

     Leaving the reading and inquiry that night, I felt that Wright is an unique combination of post-modern experimental prose with a touch of southern gothic and a reminiscent voice of the past for the woman who truly impacted her heart and soul.

Literary and Wizardly World News

2010-11-01T20:33:00.000-05:00

Besides the usual news of Halloween related blog posts for the month of October, I read some intriguing blogs related to J.K. Rowling and book genres. And since the next installment of Harry Potter does come out in theaters this month, I couldn't help my nerdy self to include these posts in my own blog.

On the Best Damn Creative Writing Blog, there was an interesting post about "A Lesson in World-Building with Harry Potter". For those writing newbies like myself, "world building" is the description of the world or setting a character resides in. Obviously since the author chose Harry Potter as an example world building certainly does not just pertain to actual places. The idea is to make it so the place seems believable, almost tangible to the reader. It's astounding when the author compared an excerpt from Harry Potter with all its sensory descriptors to that same excerpt with just the bones of the paragraph. As my creative writing teacher stressed several semesters ago to my class, it's important to show and not tell. What he meant was that a reader should identify with the character and his or her surroundings from the sensory cues, instead of just bluntly writing down what is going on. As simple as this writing rule may seem, it's easier said than done and I was thankful for this blog post using J.K. Rowling and several other familiar authors as an example of entering the character's world and thoughts.

Another blog post also about J.K. Rowling and from the Best Damn Creative Writing blog was about "J.K. Rowling Being Sued for Plagiarism" The blog briefly stated that J.K. Rowling allegedly stole ideas from a fantasy novel published back in 1987. A one-day hearing will be in the near future to consider the case. Now, I remember when I first started reading Harry Potter back in 5th grade and hearing similar cases of authors suing J.K. Rowling for stealing their novel ideas. Being a fan of Mrs. Rowling, I cannot offer an unbiased opinion about the authors who have accused her of such a crime, but it does make me wonder where Rowling got her inspiration in the first place. This also makes me worried as a writer myself because inspiration comes from all sorts of outlets, what if it is a coincidence that I write a story similar to one that I have never read yet alone heard of!? Now I'm just scaring myself, so moving on.

The Fiction Writers Review has a blog post about "The Dangers of Book Recommendations" that I was instantly drawn to since I often look at what recommendations I get from book, movie, and online store sites. The author explained the problem of book recommendations and the "difficulties that ensue when friends recommend books you hate." I thought the article was humorous and it does bring up a question about individual tastes. I know that some of my dearest friends and I would have completely different tastes when it comes to books, but that doesn't mean I won't hear them out if they are really enthusiastic about a book they like.

On a different note, some believe that reading different genres is not only a way to expand your literary horizon, but a way to learn about some great books that might otherwise be disregarded. Jan Rider Newman is one of these literary idealists as she discussed this topic in her post "Genre Hopping: Thoughts on Reading." The post gave some interesting feedback about different genres that she particularly enjoys, however I must admit I'm guilty of reading certain types of genres. Luckily, being in school has introduced me to some wonderful books that I would typically not even give a second look at. As cliché as it sounds, I still find myself judging a book by its cover, or in modern times by its movie.

Author Responses

2010-10-28T23:40:00.000-05:00

So I must say, writing to authors has been more successful than I expected with responses from both my high pedestal authors. It's comforting to remember that authors still appreciate their readers and will take the time out to show them, whether its a simple one lined response, or a paragraph of gratitude.

I look forward to contacting more authors in the future, and whether they respond back or not at least they have read my sincere appreciation and admiration of their work. I hope one day I can know what it's like to receive fan mail. One can dream, right? :)

Have a Happy Halloween everyone!

Here's a few photos I took while at a pumpkin patch with animals and pumpkins galore!

Right Side of the Noggin

2010-10-24T20:56:00.001-05:00

I'm currently reading A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future by Daniel Pink and I have to say, I really love it. It's an easy read filled with insight, humor, and plenty of resources. But since I don't want to delve too much into the book since I will already be presenting it in early November, I thought I'd talk about my campus job a little and how it reminds me of this great book.

Before the semester started, I knew that it would be best for me to have a campus job. I received emails every so often about student worker jobs that I could apply for. Feeling desperate, I applied for the newest one in my inbox about a job in the accounting building and I surprisingly got the job even though I had no experience with accounting. Because I'm an English major, I felt a little intimidated about what to expect from this job and what sort of math work I would be expected to do. Luckily, the women I work with have been very patient in teaching me how to do the paperwork, and to my relief the only math I really do is addition and subtraction. I do appreciate having a job on campus, and working with the women every Monday through Friday, but I can't help but think that this job is definitely more left sided and analytical than the job I imagined having.

I've discovered that accounting is like a big math puzzle. If something doesn't add up you have to go back and look at the figures over and over again until everything makes sense. Since this job has given me a taste of what the left side of the brain is like, I realize that for my future career I have to do something that involves more than a repetition of numbers. Don't get me wrong, I know we need accountants in this country and I'm not suggesting I'm above the work they do. I just know that my brain isn't wired like the women I work with that have been doing the same job tasks for years.

That's why I hope my career in the future, whatever that may be, will be predominatantly right side, something that can spark my creativity and interest. For now I'll just keep taking classes that enable the 6 solutions to the right side of the brain. And what are these steps? Well read Daniel Pink's book and find out! After all, I wouldn't want to spoil it :)

New Media Response

2010-10-05T15:00:00.000-05:00

     To me means technology bringing people with similar interests together, such as the popular social network facebook, or make life a little easier with new innovations that have the potential to transform someone's life. I'm naturally a skeptical person, so I took a look at some articles about connecting through facebook and e-books to see if I could be swayed to what possibilities (or downfalls) this has with the literary world.

     The Best Damn Creative Blog recently posted an article that surprised and discouraged me about facebook status' becoming a source of reading material. The percentages presented were astounding. Why would comments suffice as reading? Or better yet, what 15% of parent would find this suitable? Who is teaching "39% of children" that "the information that [they] find online is always correct"?! It's also saddening to think that 33% children would be more engaged in reading if they had an electronic device like an e-book (which I'll get to later). Children and adults for that matter shouldn't rely on technology to make reading more interesting. I believe a story should be able to stand on its own merit without having to partner with e-books just to get a little more recognition. Parents should encourage their children to explore the world of literature instead of the world web. I also think that facebook will only teach children incorrect ways to form sentences and spell. And oh how I hate text lingo.

   The urbanmusewriter took a different approach to facebook and the literary world with her article "5 Ways Facebook can Boost Your Freelance Biz" This article presents some interesting ideas on how writers can use Facebook to their advantage such as promoting articles, searching for possible publication sources, or just easing the isolation that hermit crab writers feel during the day.

   But there's another circulating technological topic that has the publishing community and writers sweating and that is e-books. On the best damn creative writing blog, Chelsea Yarbo discussed her view of e-books and how she believes "it's just the tip of the iceburg." Overall, Yarbo thinks it's difficult to tell what the publishing world and books themselves will be like in the next 20 years or so, but that print books will still have a home but bookstores and libraries may have to adapt to the new changes with downloadable content.

   Fiction Writers Review also addressed the future of the book and argued that alternative book forms offer a new way to tell a story and offer readers "something beyond pure novelty." Like Yarbo, this article believes that the innovation of print books may offer a new experience for readers.

   Personally, I don't know how I feel about e-books since I have never used one. But it seems to disassociate the bond between a print book and a reader. An e-book is a piece of technology, therefore it can malfunction whereas with a book the only way one would not be able to read it is if the pages got a bit smudged from water (guilty). Also, I don't think an e-book would have the same sentimentality as a book. Think about it. Books have a scent, graphics, a weight to them that lets you know when you're oh so close to the end. Maybe I'm just old fashioned, but a real book engages the senses and the mind more than something you can just download on a thin, plastic device. Either way, the future of books is changing and this is something readers can accept with open arms, or cling to their shelves of books like I do.

Portfolio Proposal

2010-10-05T00:54:00.002-05:00

Being an amateur writer in the publishing community can be a daunting idea considering the competitive field publishing is to begin with, the prestigious writers in literary magazines with a name and reputation, and preparing for the rejections that are sure to come. So how exactly am I supposed to make my signature in this dog eat, dog world of publishing you might ask. Well, for starters I am going to try and break this mindset I have that I am not good enough for publishing. I still need experience and a feel in my writing and finding my niche, but along the way I am going to submit to literary journals, keep up with some frequent writing blogs, write a few authors whose work I greatly admire, and develop myself as a more confident and ambitious writer. Now, all this may seem like too much to accomplish in one semester and for the most part I think it is, but I can at least begin learning how to platform myself and while still learning about the publishing community and all the persistence and passion it entails.

I compiled a list that consists of places I have chosen to submit my work. Most of the literary magazines are local or regional for my personal preference of wishing to start out with less prestigious but equally creative literary magazines that just might be interested in a story I submit. I also chose to search for literary magazines that are run by undergraduate students and colleges because again, I feel like my work would be best suited for an area where it has the best chance of recognition. Besides, to be in any college literary magazine would still be a great achievement to me. Another search criteria I searched the for regarding my submissions was one that submits short stories, does not charge an entry fee, and accepts simultaneous submissions. I was specific in these three search criteria because first off short stories are what I have dabbled in the most, secondly I do not know how I feel about an entry fee when I’m already a penniless college student, and thirdly I am selective with my submission choice and only have a few to submit in the first place therefore finding literary magazines that accepted simultaneous submissions was a must. The option of online submission was another plus for me since frankly I find it much easier and less time consuming, although it wasn’t necessarily the deal breaker if a Literary Magazine preferred snail mail.

1. Vortex - Immediately, I thought of submitting my work to the Vortex literary magazine here at UCA because I already have last year’s publication and I can become more active in what this magazine is about since it’s so close to home and is complied of emerging writers like myself .

2. Blackbird-This is another college literary magazine and is organized by the Virginia Commonwealth University and the New Virginia Review. With this magazine I could also submit more than just a fiction story if I chose to do so.

3. Oxford Magazine- Unlike my other literary magazine choices, this is an online publication and comes out once a year, making my chances of acceptance a bit slimmer, but regardless I’ll take my chance. Oxford magazine is edited and published by graduate students in the Department of English at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

4. Fourth Genre- This magazine is published twice annually by Michigan State University. The thing that caught my eye with the submission guidelines was the option of personal essays being welcome along with memoirs, which I can contribute.

5. Literary Laundry-Within the first few sentences, this journal makes it clear that they do not believe in an author paying for their work to be read, and I was practically sold after that. And to make things even better, if the same work is published again in the future by another journal or magazine all that they ask is that it appeared in Literary Laundry first.

6. Wolf-Although this literary magazine is still in the early stages of development, I wanted to give it a chance since I’m in the early stages of platforming myself as a writer. The three co-founders are based in Northwest Arkansas and features work by University of Arkansas undergraduates, MFA students, faculty, etc.

7. Oxford American-Not to be confused by Oxford Magazine, this literary journal is based in Conway. Although this magazine does not take email submissions, I’ll submit my work via snail mail and go from there. I also have a copy of their magazine so I can become more familiar with what to expect in their style.

8. Dark Sky Magazine- Dark Sky Magazine publishes web and print issues, which I found interesting. They are also an independent press and publish 4-6 new titles per year, and that means a better chance of a poem or short story acceptance to me.

Some authors that influenced my desire to write are J.K. Rowling, author of the notorious HarryPotter series, Louis Lowry author of The Giver, and Stephen Chbosky and his story The Perks of Being a Wallflower. These are a few books I have read over the past few years, however I plan to write more authors than the ones listed each time I enjoyed a book from now on. I'm already excited to contact Daniel Pink once I finish his book, A Whole New Mind: Why RightBrainers will Rule the Future.

The most important lesson I hope to acquire throughout my platform process is to have fun and enjoy what I'm learning. I do not want to dread every letter I rejection letter I receive as a failure to my work, but more of a sign that my work was at least read by an editor and that there is a future home for my writing somewhere in the vast cosmic universe of the internet and print literary journals.

A Promise

2010-09-26T01:26:00.000-05:00

If there's anything I've learned in my "How To Get Published" class, it's that I'm missing what every amateur writer needs in order to get their platform established in the writing community, and that is my writing.

Now, before you think "well why the heck are you in a how to get published class?!?" and have your head spontaneously combust with bewilderment, let me explain.

I love writing, particularly fiction stories, but I simply have not devoted time to write, and I realize this is no excuse. Regardless, I don't have folders upon folders of stories that I wish to get published, or need to reedit. And I certainly do not have any rejection and acceptance letters. Simply put, I'm not in the writing game, at least not yet. I'm not exactly a newbie when it comes to writing stories either. I have been in creative writing, and written a few short stories and narrative essays, but the time to really devote myself to writing outside of course work is far over due.

My interest in writing goes back to when I was 10 years old playing with my beanie babies (don't laugh) when I suppose one day I thought to myself 'instead of acting out a story with these beanie babies, I could write down the story!' And so, using my Lisa Frank notebooks, I began writing different stories based off of my beloved toys. I ended up writing 3 different stories, varying from 75 to 100 notebook sheets, which to me felt like the size of a Harry Potter novel.

By the time I was 11, I graduated to using Microsoft Word, and was amused with playing with the text fonts, background colors, and giving my hand a break from being cramped after writing in my notebooks. Back then I had an undeniable spark for writing. While most kids enjoyed their summers swimming or hanging out with the neighborhood kids, I took pleasure in opening my blinds for some dim afternoon light, and writing on my laptop for hours. I loved to finish one story and immediately start on a new one, as if I had so many stories just brimming to the surface of my imagination.

Over the years, my passion for writing has not ceased, but gone down my priority list of how to spend my time. I have started a few more stories, but unjustly I have yet to finish them and so they remain floating thoughts and characters waiting to be developed in my mind, idly waiting for me to give them the voice they deserve. I would not say that my passion for writing has ceased, but more like I have neglected the fire that I had as a child. The excitement and love of creating a new world is still there, and that's why I know my "How to Get Published" class will help my motivation to continue writing.

Looking back on my notebooks, it almost seems like the little girl writing those stories was not even me, but instead a young girl with so much carefree imagination and dreams of writing her entire life, casting aside doubt and criticism, and simply writing for the cathartic experience. I know I need to try and fulfill that little girl's dream, for she is the spark that resides within me, the force behind my passion of writing, and she always will be.

Tiny Seed

2010-09-15T20:12:00.006-05:00

Since this is my first post, I thought I’d write about something that I particularly captured my interest the other day in my "How to Get Published" class, when Mike Rush, a teacher and writer, was our guest speaker.

Mike read some inspiring passages from books like "Bird by Bird" and some of his own works that he's composed over the years. I intensively listened to Mike and his considerate advice to us. Before class ended, he said that as a writer we must plant the seed first before we can bear any fruits. This analogy instantly reminded me of the Japanese Red Maple seeds I was given as a gift last Christmas to grow a bonsai tree. For those of you that don’t know what a bonsai tree is (or have never entered a Chinese restaurant), a bonsai tree is basically a tree that’s purposely dwarfed to develop in a pot. This task is as delicate and meticulous as it sounds, not to mention it takes years before the tree is fully developed.

Regardless, I was so excited at the thought of caring for a bonsai tree and being able to proudly boast to others whenever they gazed at the ruby leaves of my miniature tree that I had cared for it as a seedling. I imagined that I would grow attached to the tree as a sort of pet, and nurture it until I became an expert on the unique bonsai trees . So, I began the long process of keeping the seeds in the fridge (to act out the winter period as instructed) for 3 long months as I waited for some sign that I was properly taking care of this small tree. The day I started to see green sprouts in the soil I felt a burst of joy to see some actual progress to my patience.

After the seedlings were starting to sprout, the next step required them to be in 65 degree weather, properly shaded and watered of course. So I created the mini type green house my little darlings required but for one reason or another, a sprout would wither away making me go from the parent of 5 seedlings to 2. Eventually these sprouts became tall enough to be transferred to a terracotta pot which I carefully embedded them in like a mother tucking her children to bed. But just as my confidence level was growing itself, one of the bonsai trees died until I was left with one delicate, yet defiant seedling in my lonely terracotta plant. All summer the tree seemed to thrive and I continually watered it, hoping that this tree would make my vision come to life. Days passed, and I thought I was in the clear with this seedling that had surpassed its other siblings, after all it was selectively the strongest right? Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. This seed still needed much attention, and whether I watered the seedling too much or too little, or the temperatures were too harsh, my last remaining seed died and so my dream owning a fully grown bonsai tree withered away as well.

The long months and patience of waiting for a sign from my bonsai tree, and thinking of the beauty it would eventually come to saddened me and made me wonder what I could have done differently, or if I simply didn’t have the green thumbs for something like a bonsai tree. I believe writing can evoke a lot of the same feelings I had. You can nurture a piece of work for months at a time, adding some details here, taking out a scene or a sentence that doesn’t flow with the work, tediously scrutinizing every word yet loving that you have created something yourself and watching it grow. Then, when you think your work is finished and you try to get it published, you get dun dun dun…rejected. Now while I’ve never submitted anything to be published, I imagine having your precious writing seed to be squandered after so many months of care and patience waiting for a reply is well, a devastating blow to the spirit. You may even take some time from writing for a while, or come back with an I can do it! attitude. I’m not sure how I’ll exactly take it when I get my first rejection, but it’s something I think every writer has to overcome in order to grow not only as a writer but as a person.

With each submission there is a chance of success, but publication should not be the primary force before writing. Writers can learn to shape and form their stories, until there work flourishes and grows, and perhaps even catch the eyes of some admirers. The journey is a long arduous process, but a necessary one to develop into a writer. And my bonsai tree is my long version analogy of what I believe Mike Rush was getting to.

As for my bonsai tree I’m still a bit disappointed that I have no seedlings growing, but I know that if I want to try again then I must be prepared for the months- no years, of care and change how I cared for my last ones so that one day my vision of owning a bonsai tree will be true. For now, I think I’ll work on nourishing the seedlings in my imagination.

R.I.P. little Bonsai