FRIDAY STIR FRY - ORACON 2014

Well ORACON 2014 has come and gone. What a whirlwind. The volunteer, board and speaker dinner Friday night didn't end until 9:30. Then I had to be at University Plaza at 7:15 Saturday morning to start checking people in. I'm still a little tired. And since I'm treasurer, I'm working on tying up final income and expenses.

I never liked going to conferences for my regular job. Probably because I hate it and I'm not crazy about my co-workers. This conference is totally different. I always come away inspired and in awe of all the talent in the writing community. Everyone is ready to share experiences and offer support.

We had a good turnout (around 90) with some new people attending, which is always a positive.

And drum roll please . . . I won 2nd place in the Weta Nichols contest. This is not a small feat. Our contest receives entries from all over the country. I think there were around 20 contestants in my category, contemporary romance. Liz Pelletier of Entangled Publishing was the final judge and she said to send her more. Yea! Now all I have to do is write it. :-)

Several of our members finaled which just goes to show how gifted they all are.

Planning will get underway for next year's conference soon. No rest for the weary.

Did you go to ORACON and what did you take away?

BASEBALL & LIFE

Baseball season has finally started! I love baseball. I’ve heard people say it’s a boring game. Not if you understand the intricacies of the game and the correlation between baseball and life. I can hear some of you right now. “What in the heck are you talking about?” Well, let me explain.

In a baseball game, you have several chances to get a home run. If you don’t hit it out of the park your first time at bat, you are given another try in a later inning. And then (if you learned anything that first time) you make adjustments in your swing. In life, we do much the same. If we don’t get what we want the first time, we make adjustments and most of us give it another go. And if we hit a home run, we might wonder if it’s a fluke or can we do it again?

Sometimes a player gets a hit and makes it to first base. Then, some decisions have to be made. How much of a lead do they take? Do they wait for the next batter to get a hit, or try and steal second base? Again, in life, sometimes we make it to first and it feels safe and we stay put. Other times we yearn for more. What’s it like on second base? Do I have what it takes to get there or will I fall short?

            As most of you know, I made it to first base with Avalon publishing when Editor Lia Brown asked for my manuscript. I sent it and patiently waited on first. Then Lia left Avalon and a few weeks ago I got my manuscript back with a rejection letter on top. I never made it to second base and while I waited on first, precious time was wasted. I should have tried to steal second by contacting other houses or agents.
           That was my first at bat. I’ll make adjustments and my next time at the plate, I’m sure I’ll have better results. After all, it's a long season and anything can happen.