Noble Woman and Writer Carolyn Howard-Johnson

Everyone is fortunate to find mentors and role models to look up to. For a writer, trying to make her way in the lonely, rejection-filled world of writing, finding a writing mentor is a treasure. I am lucky to have generous, warm, thoughtful writing mentors, one of whom is Carolyn Howard-Johnson. Carolyn is the author of the newly released The Frugal Editor -- a must-read for any writer, beginning or advanced, along with her fabulous companion book The Frugal Promoter. If you don't have copies of these two writing-shelf-must-haves, go to Amazon.com right now and consider it an investment in your writing career.

Carolyn was also kind enough to mention me in her blog, http://www.sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com/ (scroll down to the January 3 post...) Her blog is a terrific resource for writers and readers alike.

And, I just found out Carolyn has a new endeavor: her annual "Noble (Not Nobel!) Prize for Literature."

Carolyn says, "Praised or maligned, the Nobel Prize for Literature is always news. It selects the best from the world and therefore misses much of value." So Carolyn, “Back to Literature” columnist for MyShelf.com, aims to close the gap with her annual “Noble Prize for Literature.”

Over the last years the Nobel committee has recognized authors for their literary expertise but there has also been a trend toward awarding the prize for, as Los Angeles Times Staff Writer Tim Rutten says, “an author’s particular relevance to the moral moment in which the world finds itself.”

Carolyn’s prize therefore concentrates on books that address these same issues. For her Noble Prize, Carolyn considers books written in English (which narrows the field of prospects considerably) because writers who write in English have been rather neglected over the years and, she admits, because that is the language in which she . . . ahem, reads well enough..

Carolyn’s Noble Prize lists have included well-known authors who explore discrimination in their writing like Toni Morrison and Ralph Ellison but she tries to concentrate on authors who have not been posted to bestseller lists or won major awards. Some past winners are poet Lloyd King and LA's Leora G. Krygier, Randall Sylvis and Suzanne Lummis.

The winners for 2007 are: Christopher Meeks, Ken Kreckel, Magadalena Ball, Rolf Gompertz, Joyce Faulkner and Pat McGrath Avery, Christine Alexanians, Sona Ovasapyan, Alison Bechdel, Diane Ackerman, Joshua Ferris, Lionel Shriver, Karla Brundage, John F. Nienstedt and Yvonne Perry.

My amazing mentor Carolyn Howard Johnson is no stranger to literary prizes. Her first novel, This is the Place, won Sime-Gen's Reviewers’ Choice Award after it was published in 2001 and went on to win 7 other awards. Her book of creative nonfiction, Harkening, has won three awards, and her Frugal Book Promoter and her Frugal Editor were both named USA Book News' Best Professional Book in their years of publiciation. Learn more about Carolyn at http://www.authorsden.com/carolynhowardjohnson.

Happy New Year!

I feel like this at the beginning of every new year... a combination of disbelief that it's a new year already, a twinge of nostalgia for days gone by, and excitement and hope for the blank slate of the upcoming year!

I am a huge believer in the power of setting goals, and each new year I take time to review how far I've come in the past year, and to set new goals for the upcoming year.

Here are a few of my milestones in 2007:
* I studied abroad for a month this summer at Cambridge University, and was one of four USC students selected to study Creative Writing in England this spring at the University of East Anglia.
* I was promoted to Coordinator of the Young Writers Program at the Santa Barbara Writers Conference.
* I broke into a few new markets, including the Cup of Comfort series, The Daily Trojan USC student newspaper, and 805 magazine, and took on a new column each month for Listen magazine.
* I was honored as a Jim Murray Scholar for excellence in collegiate journalism.

And here are few of my goals for 2008:
* Find the right agent for my novel manuscript.
* Write at least one page a day, every single day.
* Start a literary journal at USC.
* Write and produce a play to raise money for my "Write On!" nonprofit endeavors.

I also have a goal of being more consistent and better about making entries in this blog ... sometimes I get so caught up in school and writing and busy with extracurricular commitments that I forget to take the time to blog about my experiences! But I really enjoy interacting with others this way and I am definitely going to try to be more proactive about taking five minutes every other day to jot down some of my thoughts.

What are your goals for 2008? I'd love to hear them. Also, while I know a new year is a time of optimism and hope, it can also be overwhelming. Remember to break your goals up into smaller, more manageable parts -- just taking small steps towards your goals each day really adds up. For example, I tell students who want to be writers to make a pact with themselves to write ten minutes -- that's all they need to do, just ten minutes at least -- each and every day. Believe me, the pages will add up more quickly than you could imagine! As the saying goes, slow and steady wins the race. I'd love to hear progress on your goals throughout the year -- and, if I can ever be of any help, either in the writing field or simply by offering some words of encouragement and support, please don't hesitate to contact me!

Here's to a masterpiece of a 2008!! :)

Murray Scholars Reception 2007

This past weekend I traveled to the beautiful desert city of La Quinta, CA, to attend the Jim Murray Memorial Foundation Scholarship Reception. I was one of seven college students across the nation honored with this award for college journalism, which was one of the biggest highlights of my life thus far.

This award also had a great deal of personal significance. I have grown up reading Jim Murray and he is one of my idols. When my dad was a college senior -- just one year older than I am now! -- he wrote Jim Murray a letter asking for advice about being a sportswriter. Jim wrote back, a thoughtful, page-long, handwritten letter. One of the things he wrote in that letter I now have taped above my writing desk:

"If you are meant to be a writer, you will be. Nothing can stop a writer from writing. Not even Hitler could do that."

Jim Murray also inspired me with his kindness towards others and the way he captured humanity in all of his writings. As Rick Reilly wrote: "Jim could have written about anything -- sports just got lucky."

I feel so lucky to now be a part of the Murray Scholar Family! I also have tremendous gratitude to Linda McCoy-Murray, Jim's widow, who is one of the most remarkable human beings I have ever met. She is so energetic, passionate, and kind -- along with keeping Jim Murray's legacy alive, she has raised nearly half a million dollars for these college scholarships. She is a human dynamo with a heart bigger than Kobe Bryant's ego!

Pictures:

Top: Here is a picture of me with Jim Murray's legendary typewriter. (You have to press down on the keys very forcefully -- so different from touch-typing on computers these days!)

Middle: Here I am with Luc Robitaille, former LA Kings player who was recently inducted into the Hall of Fame. He is such a genuinely nice person!

Bottom: With my idol Linda McCoy-Murray.

Opportunity for Young Readers

If any of you are interested in giving feedback to an author of an amazing, soon-to-be published book, check out the info below from my writing buddy Donna:

Youth Dream Team

If you are a young person who loves to read please visit my website for my novel, The Loose End of the Rainbow. I invite you to become a member of my Youth Dream Team. The story was written to inspire readers of all ages, but especially teens and young adults. The story is fantasy-fiction.

If you read my manuscript I will put your supportive quote on my website with your photograph and a short summary about you. You must email me your short summary and a web-quality photograph with your quote.

As soon as the book is published I will send you a free copy, of course. If you print out the manuscript please do not discard it without shredding the pages. If you are under eighteen I must have written permission from your parent or legal guardian. Everyone under eighteen will be listed without their city and last name.

Your quote does not have to be super long. I want to know what you think, in your own words.

Warmest Regards,

Donna B. Pacini

csgogh@yahoo.com

The Loose End of the Rainbow:

www.astarrynightproductions.com

Talking to Students about Writing

Last week I had the pleasure of being invited to speak to the eighth grade classes at Windemere Middle School. The students were a terrific audience -- listening attentively as I read a story from my book, asking insightful and interesting questions, and volunteering when I asked them questions. They even made a banner welcoming me to their school!

Talking to students is one of my favorite things -- they never fail to inspire me with their passion, enthusiasm, and curiosity about life. I think it is an important thing for writers -- or anyone! -- to remember: what made you fall in love with your passion in the first place? Sometimes I get wrapped up in the tedium and solitude of writing and the constant struggle to revise and make my work better. But after talking to a classroom full of kids about my writing process and what I love about writing, it re-opens my own eyes to the wonder and magic of the written word.

At the beginning of my talk, I always ask the students: "How many of you like to write?" Usually, a few shy hands raise. At the end of my talk, I ask the same question, and usually a lot more hands raise -- my own hand included. Talking to kids about my writing journey reminds me how blessed I am to be doing something I truly love.

Deadlines, deadlines, deadlines

I've long been a believer in the importance of deadlines, but I've come to accept there is a difference between self-imposed deadlines and deadlines imposed by someone else -- for example, homework deadlines. I was assigned to write a 20-page short story for my English class, and even though my week was busy with midterm exams and I came down with a nasty cold, I found time to finish my story by the 9 a.m. deadline today. I'm sad to admit, if it hadn't been assigned as homework, I probably would have let other work get in the way -- and my story wouldn't even be half-way done yet.

I set goals and deadlines for myself every week, and often I meet them. But the truth is, it's easy during a busy or difficult week -- or when I'm suffering from writer's block, or am feeling uninspired -- to push back deadlines I set myself. I had writer's block when I was working on my story for English class, but since I had to get it done by this morning, no if's, and's or but's about it -- my writer's block was no excuse. I pushed through and got it done.

So, how can you turn self-imposed deadlines into real, accountable ones? Tell someone else about them. I share my writing goals with my dad -- and now I'm going to share my deadlines with him, too. If my dad's expecting another 1,000 words of my novel by Monday, you can bet I'll do my very best to get those words written and in his email inbox! After all, I hate to disappoint him. The best part is I'm the real winner -- because I'll be the ones checking off my writing goals, deadline by deadline.

Interview on Writing World

Check out my interview on Writing-World.com! Thanks to Eugie Foster for asking such insightful questions ~

http://www.writing-world.com/foster/foster15.shtml