This seven-part series will cover the 2 ½-year time span between the day I set out to become an author and the day I became one.

Becoming an Author – Part Three
Summer 2006

My first six months of writing would result in 12 bylines in magazines and anthologies. Throughout the next year, my work would appear in Boy’s Life, Budget Travel, All You, Chesapeake Family magazine, Field N Forest, Wisconsin West, Corporate Report Wisconsin, Transitions Abroad, Poetica Grandmatica, and Chicken Soup for the Soul: Celebrating Mothers and Daughters. The grand total income for my efforts was about $1,700. It’s not bad for a first try at a writing career, but the amount of time I spent to earn it would make anyone question whether it’s a sustainable profession.

When the kids were home for summer vacation, I took a break from the querying and switched gears to other pursuits. I did contract resume writing and learned more about photography, with my new Canon. And I got more serious about my blog, and found that I really loved writing about my life and kids.

Then the director of publishing contacted me from Search Institute Press. They’d like to look into the book idea I’d sent back in March. Could we talk about it?

This is the part of the story where I suppose I should paint myself as a stoic picture of professionalism. I should indicate to you that I said something like, “Let me look at my schedule and I’ll get back to you.”

But of course, this would be ridiculous. This was a life-list thing for me.

I did a happy-dance.

And so the proposal process began. The idea morphed from the anthology I had suggested, into a thorough look at the Empowerment assets. It would define youth empowerment for those who hadn’t considered it before, while providing inspiration and ideas for those who already understood the concept. It would provide concrete examples and doable activities. It would be based on my experience as a school counselor and peer tutoring advisor, but also interviews with youth leaders from throughout the world, and the adults who empowered them.

The publishing team wrote a proposal which included sales and marketing data, competing titles, and promotional concepts, as well as other details about the book I hadn’t even considered. I felt so relieved that others were walking me through a process I’d never seen before. After they completed the majority of the proposal, I made suggestions based on the questions asked and parameters set by the team, and the proposal went on its way…

Please return next week for part four on Becoming an Author…

My book, Empowering Youth: How to Encourage Young Leaders to Do Great Things, will be available in June, from Search Institute Press.

I’d love your help choosing my self-portrait.

With my impending book release, I figured it was time to publish an updated portrait of myself, and I’d like you to help me decide which one to use on my “About” page. You’ll notice I was unable to locate the “crows-feet removal tool”.

My Canon is in each of the photos because it’s actually taking the pictures. I can probably crop it out, though if you think that would look better, so please share your thoughts. Don’t forget to vote, by clicking one of the radio buttons below the photos. Thanks for visiting!

If you have an opinion about the camera staying or leaving, here are the photos with the camera cropped out:

For more Wordless Wednesday, please visit here or here.

If you’ve ever read the Freedom Writer’s Diary, you’ll appreciate this good news from Portland, Maine which is inspired partly by the book. Two students recently shared with city council what they’d learned in the program, Reconnecting Youth. For a semester, they’d written about their life struggles, and reflected about ways to improve their situations.

According to Amanda Edgar, from the City of Portland Public Health Division,

“I think the students (and maybe others) weren’t sure what to expect but the kids received a resounding response from all council members and community members after their individual presentations. These two students were so insightful and moving in what they had written and in how they spoke; it just goes to show the amazing power of listening to youth in our community as they have a lot to say!”

Designed for students aged 14-18, Reconnecting Youth is a curriculum that uses small group skills training to enhance personal competencies and social support resources. Each semester the teacher gives a journal to each teen and they watch the movie “Freedom Writers” and talk about the power of writing. The goals are to increase school performance, and decrease drug involvement and suicide-risk behaviors.

Youth involved in the program note that they enjoy it because it’s a good place to talk without feeling judged, and some begin to make more positive choices about smoking and drinking. One youth stated,

“This group has made a big turnaround. I feel like no one is going to question what I say now - and that it will stay here.”

The anecdotal evidence of programs like this makes you think about the power of writing - and also the power of connections. For more information, please visit Reconnecting Youth.

Other torch-passers:

Wild Thing is Rosa Parks - Don’t Try This At Home

Enjoy!

Do you have a story about kids that make you proud, or adults who are passing the torch? Please let me know and I’ll spread the word on Pass the Torch Tuesday.Former PTT posts.