One Step Closer...

It's been a while since I've updated, and quite a few things have happened. First, and most importantly, Buck got home from Iraq a few days ago. So yay for him getting home safely!!

Second, and far less significant but important to me none the less, I've had some really exciting developements happen for me as far as writing goes. A few months back K-lo the great let me know that her publishing company was looking for writers who could help with a book that was behind schedule. The books is a "Kid's say the darndest Things" type of book, filled with "kids" quotes about God, dogs, parents, siblings, etc. Anyway, K-lo basically told me, "if you want to submit some quotes, I can't guarantee anything because I'm not in charge of this book, but etc, etc, if they like what you submit they'll pay you for it." So I submitted about 30+ quotes and didn't hear much for a while. Then I got an email from the acquisitions editor of the book, telling me that not only did they LOVE (seriously, in the email, she used all capital letters) my quotes and were approving a lot of them for the book, but they wanted me to write MORE! So this week I submitted about 40+ more quotes and received more praise. I don't know the exact number they'll be using in the book, but the point is, I am being paid to write things that will in fact be published. My name will appear in the book as a contributor, and the book will have a library of congress number, so this will officially be a published book in the U.S. that I helped write. The other less exciting story is that I am in a fiction writing class, and on the days that we have a story due, we are divided into groups, read our stories aloud, and then the groups vote on who should read their story to the entire class. A few weeks ago, my story was voted to be read aloud, and in a moment of Davy-esqueness, I read my story to an audience that literally was cracking up. It really was a weird feeling, I've always thought my stuff was funny, but this was the first time I'd read it to a group that wasn't made up of close friends, and it was incredibly well received, and they even cheered and clapped when I was done reading. Anywho, my professor said I should submit it to "Scribendi" which is USU yearly publication of student writing and draiwing submissions that are judged, the top 2 from each category are picked and then they are published into a book that most english classes use the following semester. Not as exciting as being published by a real publishing company, but exciting nonetheless. Anyway, I got an email a few days ago saying that my story had been picked and that it would be published. I don't know it's ranking, and won't until March, but the point is, in a few months other students will be forced to read my story and discuss it in class.

So that's the update, as of now, I am an officially paid, published writer; and one step closer to lunch with Davy.