Meetings, workshop, decisions

Oct. 30- After Mrs. Parkes got me in touch with the lower school librarian, we sent several e-mails back and forth about my project. Eventually, I scheduled a time to meet with her. I went to the lower school and looked around the library while I waited for Ms. Miller to come. She was scheduled to have a class at 10 am so I came at 9 am. By 9:55 am she still had not come so I left her a note on the desk. A couple hours later she e-mailed me and we rescheduled for Monday at 3:45pm.

Nov. 2- I met with Wonda Miller. She showed me the books she had put aside for me to look at and that she thought would serve as a good guide. I ended up taking about 4 books with me, mainly based on either their layout or writing style. Ms. Miller was extremely friendly and helpful in terms finding what I needed and helping guide my way. She mentioned to me that she has a friend who works at the Sag harbor library who is could help me out and would probably be interested in my project. She is also a publisher and editor and would serve as a great outside consultant. On that note I was so grateful for her help and went straight work.

Nov. 5- I got an email from Ms. Miller saying she had visited her friend, Cathy Creedon the author, and is very excited about my project and wanted be to visit her. She also told be about a writing program that they are offering for teens beginning at 5:00pm that night. It was being conducted by Carla Riccio, she is a writer, teacher and editor. It runs the 1st and 3rd Thursday of every month starting today and going through May. This could be a very useful forum for me to have additional writing help with my book. Carla is familiar with the publication process and could be a valuable connection. Not knowing much about the program or these authors and it being such short notice I went to the meeting in a rush of excitement. When I got there, I was very happy to see the diversity in people that were talking the class. I was the only Ross student there, everyone else was from Pierson, but each person was a very defined individual. We introductions and talked about why we were talking the class. We also did several poetry exercises and read. The workshop ended at 6:30pm and every Thursday at 6:30pm they have an author come to the library until 8pm to talk about their books and answer questions about them. Most of the authors there are have several publications. Thursdays was a science fiction/mystery author and I've never really liked this genre of stories so I didn't stay. But next weeks author I will go see and hopefully talk to about my project and maybe get insight from them too.

For the coming week I am working on wrapping up 10 stories. As the first week of november ends I feel pressured to finish my 30 stories, at least a rough draft by the 16th. By doing this I am going to have to race through final drafts with hopefully some of these editors and get started on my books. I am still debating whether to use blurb or lulu. AHHH! That is my biggest problem right now because i want my book to look the exactly the way I want to it and if i pick the wrong publisher I'm afraid of feeling like my work went to waste. I want the month of December to be mostly about the actual layout of the book so that by Christmas break I am ordering copies.
Even though this sounds so far away, for me its right around the corner.