Alright, so my ultimate goal is to make a living and career out of writing and publishing books. I want to do it the traditional way of going through a literary agent who will establish a contract with a respective publishing company. The tricky part is getting a foot in the door. Agents receive query letters every day from hundreds of people trying to get themselves out there. The agent needs to see something that separates a writer from the rest, someone they know has credentials and can market. This is usually done through building some sort of resume and getting published in minor places like magazines and online sites, contests and whatnot. I am working on my BA in Creative Writing which I will receive from Salisbury. I’m hoping to get published somewhere somehow along the way, so by the time I have my degree, my resume will speak for itself in the query letter. At the same time, I’m toying with the idea of somehow getting an agent sooner, though it is a very long shot. I have a 4 book series I would be presenting, something I’ve been working on for 2 1/2 years, recently turning 19. The original novel, which was just supposed to be a linear story, is now a complete universe with a working prequel, sequel, and a bridge between the original and sequel following a new character and his overlap with the main plot. In addition to this, I’m working on a complete summary of the series, starting with all relevant background information of the universe, following into the prequel and going from there.

Kyle, the good news is that you are doing all the right things, and I believe you have a bright future ahead of you. Let’s break this down and see why.

Traditional publishing is getting harder to crack every day. You would think just the opposite would be true, as so many people are turning to Print-On-Demand (POD) and digital (eBook) publishing. Surely the traditional publishers would be searching far and wide for writers to stick with the “old way” of publishing books, wouldn’t they?

Well, it all comes down to numbers — dollar signs, to be exact. The increase in digital publishing also means a decrease in readers actually buying print books. The Go Green movement has made it fashionably correct to stick to the digital downloads and avoid the bulky books that get tossed on a stack of other used books somewhere in the corner of your bedroom.

Therefore, traditional publishers are being very choosy about what and who they publish. Here’s why Kyle is doing all the right things.

First, he is young. At 19, Kyle is seen as a long-term investment for an agent who wants to establish a relationship with an author. The younger the talented writer, the more opportunities for multi-book deals, which leads us to the next advantage.

Second, Kyle has a four-book plan to pitch. In fiction, agents want to see a polished manuscript of at least one book in a series, with detailed outlines of subsequent books in a trilogy or series. The outlines must demonstrate to the agent that the writer understands the bigger picture of a four-book deal, where he can see a greater story spanning four books, yet each book has its own self-contained story. The multi-book deal shows the agent and the publisher that this is an investment. Think of the hottest books on the market in the last ten years; most of them are part of a series, and serial books mean big money in merchandising, film, and (of course) digital downloads.

Third, Kyle understands the game. He knows that he has to stuff a folder with “clips” of published stories to demonstrate two things: 1) validation from other reputable publications and 2) continuity and consistency. Kyle should be sending out shorter works of fiction at least every other month, if not more frequently. He needs to demonstrate that he can manage the business side of writing as well as the creative side. This is where most writers fail. It’s hard to do. It’s hard to see that this is a business. There is no such thing as “Writer’s Block” to a professional writer. As David Simon once wrote about his own father, I have no more right to say that I have writer’s block than my father has to say, I have milkman’s block. He would never get away with skipping a delivery because he couldn’t find his creative muse; not delivering means not working; not working means not getting paid. If you want to be a writer, you have to work hard and deliver the product. Consistently.

Fourth, Kyle has created a universe that opens up endless possibilities with spinoffs, sequels, fan fiction — you name it. Agents and publishers love it when the author makes it this easy for them. Kyle and his writing have dollar signs written all over them.

Of course, without saying, the writing has to be very, very good. Not great, but very very good. Clear, crisp, and concise writing sells books. Tell a good, clean story, and demonstrate the ability to do it again and again, is the golden ticket to success in the traditional market.

Now, Kyle would be wise to consider both traditional and digital markets for getting published now. Many reputable traditionals publish additional works online, and many more reputable journals have gone all digital. It does not mean that their criteria for publishing have changed; it just means that they have the opportunity to, perhaps, publish a few more works than they might have had the money to publish traditionally.

Also, Kyle needs to begin networking at local and regional conferences, where agents are sitting on panels, serving as keynotes, or leading strategic workshops. He needs to pitch his ideas concisely and convincingly. He should have business cards printed with his contact information, and the card should pop, but in a professional way (in addition– Kyle needs to make sure that all of his contact info is simple and as close to his name as possible; abandon creative email addresses that have nothing to do with you [and thus won't ever be associated with your name]).

As Kyle gains momentum in getting his work published and finds an agent, his works will logically flow into a hybrid stream of publishing opportunities in both traditional and digital platforms.

Good luck to you, Kyle, and all others who still believe in traditional publishing. It’s still possible to make it as a full-time writer; it just takes a lot of work and a good amount of talent.

The first “release” is Gettysburg Sunrise, 46 photos taken at the Gettysburg National Military Park in October 2011. If you like the video, please subscribe to my YouTube channel, as I will be releasing more photo slide shows in the near future. My next release will most likely be “Four Seasons,” presented with excerpts of Vivaldi’s masterpiece under the same title.

Enjoy Gettysburg Sunrise, presented with Enya’s “Cursum Perficio” and “Boadicea” from her CD, The Celts.

What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think. This rule, equally arduous in actual and in intellectual life, may serve for the whole distinction between greatness and meanness. It is the harder because you will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know it. It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

I have struggled, lately, to follow Emerson’s advice. I guess I let the world around me — especially the social media world — derail my focus that keeps me centered in solitude while immersed in the big crowd. I had to leave that crowd for a week to regroup, gather some strength, and resurface.

I don’t see anything wrong with that. I think we need to take a walkabout every now and then to find that focus again. It’s easy to be so derailed in the mind-blowing speed of the world that now whips around us.

I am blessed to have a friend who never ceases to provide a balanced dose of wisdom when I need it the most. Last week, as we were doing a ten-mile bike ride on the NCR Trail in northern Baltimore County, I was explaining to Trina why I deactivated my Facebook account.

“I needed to find that balance, Trina. I needed to get back to that core, that center and refocus.”

She didn’t respond immediately, but when she finally spoke, her words nearly made me steer completely off the trail and into the muddy trenches.

“Finding balance is not always a 50-50 thing. You just have to find the right percentages of the different things in your life that create that balance within you.”

Such simple advice, yet so very profound.

I don’t need to remove parts of my life that are causing me stress or concern; I need to evaluate how much I have allowed those things to permeate my every move. Social media is a perfect example. I realized, just in one week, how important my friends are to me online, and how essential those connections are for the work I am doing with Lines of Love, the fight against bullying, and the promotion of peace and living life fully.

Despite my efforts — even in one week — to do that without social media seemed like the worst exercise in futility I could ever attempt.

And so I am back, with my tail tucked a little between my legs, for being so dramatic with my parting. But at that time, I didn’t know what else to do. I couldn’t find that anchor to pull me out of that frustration, so I gave up and gave in.

This message to me is much bigger than social media, too. I am overwhelmed by the travesties and tragedies on our planet, taking place every single day. Yet, I choose to stay in the game, fighting back with love and faith. I must do the same thing online — have the same understanding that, in the not-so-little world of online social networking, the same travesties and tragedies are happening.

By giving in, by giving up, I am giving them the satisfaction (indirectly so) that they got to me. They pushed me away. And in that, they gained some strength.

I won’t give them that satisfaction. And I hope you won’t either. We cannot run from the hardest challenges we face; we must greet them and defeat them with the same loving kindness that nurtured us when we were newborns.

We must keep with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude as we live in this world, real or virtual (are they even that different anymore?).

And to do that, we need to be together, we need to unite, we need to run into — and not away from — the challenges we face.

All this, and with a happy heart to embrace life fully and with peace toward ourselves as well as toward others.

Just a few days ago, the ten-year anniversary of a good friend’s passing, Donnon (We bid you goodnight, good friend), kicked off the season for me, with upcoming anniversaries of the deaths of my own parents, as well as my wife’s and the “second sets” of parents whom I spent so much time, in April, May, and June. Eight deaths in a 3-month span.

That’s why this is so hard for me. Outside, there is faith in the flowers, the blossoming of a new season, and the promise of rebounding life and love once again. Inside my heart, though, I feel deeply in touch with those whom I have had to say goodbye in these same spring-like days.

So now, on this very very specific day of Spring’s arrival, it is also the birthday of a wonderful individual I never knew: Jennifer Cakert. Jennifer, like Donnon, died at a very young age. She passed away nearly six years ago (another passing in June), and yet, her spirit and energy still remain deeply within me, just like Donnon’s.

It is inexplicable. And yet, I do not question it. There is chi here that, for whatever reason, drives me to do many of the things I do.

On the one-year anniversary of Jennifer’s death, I wrote a memorial to her on my blog that, for reasons I cannot even begin to comprehend, is so very serendipitous of the events that are coming up in the next few months. After rereading this blog, she shares a birthday with another individual whom I have never met, yet who may play a key role in helping donate some of my photos for the upcoming Jan-Ai Scholarship Event in October.

I am absolutely convinced that the Universe provides opportunities for healing, for love, for guidance and for faith. These passings, these anniversaries, these birthdays, they have all fallen at a time of year of rebirth, of renewal, of life and hope and love springing eternal.

I have faith in a seed. I have faith in the blossoming buds on the dogwoods, the cherry blossoms, and the magnolias.

But most of all, I have faith in the love in my heart from the passing of loved ones, the kindness and energy of those I have never met, and the belief that something greater exists beyond these very thoughts and emotions.

I have faith. I believe. I love. You.

The beauty of this course? It’s online, and it’s all about you.

The Maryland Writing Project (MWP), which has been recognized as an exemplary site by the National Writing Project in Berkeley, CA, enters its 31st year providing writing instruction and its strategic implementation to teachers and schools across the state. Just last week, the National Writing Project was awarded $24.6 million in grants to support teacher and principal development.

This year, in lieu of its Invitational Summer Institute, MWP will be running three graduate writing courses.

Each of these three courses addresses many of the Common Core State Standards on writing, assessment, and publication (you can download the complete Standards document Here: CCSSI_ELA_Standards).

My course focuses specifically on publishing your best teaching practices, creating a strong argument for or against a relevant topic in education, or conducting quantitative and qualitative data research from the classroom. By the conclusion of our session, you will have submitted your work for publication in a regional or national journal!

The three courses are as follows:

SCED 670. Getting Published: Polishing Your Best Practices and Putting Them in Print (I will be teaching this course online in the first session, which runs from May 29 to June 29).

SCED 603. Writing Across the Curriculum: Teaching Writing Using Web 2.0 Tools (taught in the first session as a hybrid course by Tina Dushel and Katie Profili, Wednesdays 4–6 p.m., and one additional day online).

EDUC 667. Writing As Assessment: Sharpening Students’ Critical Thinking Skills Across the Grade Levels (taught in the third session and on campus by Joan Woytowitz, MWTh 11 a.m.–1:40 p.m., July 2nd to August 3).

For more information about these courses, the academic calendar, and the instructions for registering, go Here: Flyer_Graduate_Sum_2012_sched_reg_info-1.

For more information about the Registration and Billing Schedule, click HERE.

For more information about Graduate Admissions for Non-Degree Enrollment, click HERE.

If you have ANY questions at all about my course, please feel free to email me directly at rusvw13@gmail.com.

Today is my 47th birthday.  I have been blessed with 17,166 days — opportunities — to experience and share life and love in this world. When I reflect on the lives lost in those 47 years — friends, family, students, mentors, I cannot be too grateful to be here today, to use this moment and this opportunity to cherish all that is before me.

17,166. That’s a lot of opportunities to embrace life.

So, on this 17,166th day, I share some of the things I’ve learned along the way (10, to be exact; it seemed more reasonable than sharing 17,166 things–or even 47–that I have learned…). Some are deep, and some defy gravity. Please join me in celebrating this day by adding to the list. What have you learned along your journey so far?

1. This moment is the only sure thing. Joan Didion, in The Year of Magical Thinking, shared her journey following the sudden death of her husband in their kitchen in the middle of chopping vegetables for dinner. In her book, she writes, “Life changes in the instant. The ordinary instant.” I do not need to look to tomorrow or back at yesterday to find my peace. It is right here, right in this very moment.
2. Nature provides infinite energy. There’s chi — energy — in nature that we rarely take the time to tap into. And yet, what it offers us is unlimited strength balanced with graceful humility. We need to spend more time outside and less time in our heads.
3. Finding our muse means discovering unlimited energy. I have learned that our muse contains a limitless supply of energy and spirit. Every time we write, sketch, paint, sing… we tap into something greater than our little minds. We bypass thought and enter a higher realm of spiritual possibility. Why is it unlimited? Because we will never be able to capture something that is so much greater than we will ever be able to comprehend…
4. It is our choice what we cherish in our relationships, present and past. Forty-seven years is a long time to have friendships and relationships with many individuals. Not all of them are going to necessarily turn out the way you once envisioned or planned. But what we take from them is our choice. I have learned to treasure those moments that have defined the very essence of those relationships; anything less diminishes our efforts to live authentically and fully.
5. Smiles really are contagious. Whether I am offering a smile, or I am the lucky recipient of one, it centers me. The simple effort to smile for others can change everything for that person — as well as you — in that single act.
6. There is movement in our stillness. The social media revolution in the last five or six years has replaced so much of our time simply being still. Our eyes are barely open before we are checking our phones for text messages, Facebook updates, and breaking news over our RSS feeds. We run for 18-20 hours with our phones glued to the palm of our hand, and we “unplug” just minutes before we go to sleep. We need to bring back the moments of stillness in our lives so that we might move toward a more healthy, balanced life. Scheduling “unplugged” time for ourselves is necessary and essential.
7. Darkness exists in deceptive, evil ways. I’ve seen it. Felt it. Witnessed it. As is true with the Yin/Yang symbol, there is as much evil as there is good out there. Being aware of it diminishes its hold on us.
8. We are never alone. Those dark days find us. Sometimes, they even consume us in such a way that makes us feel as if we are in an inescapable abyss. But even in these moments, I have learned that we are never alone. Whether it is the fact that these dark moments are felt by so many others (and most never show it) or that there are people who care for us and love us, there is always someone just on the other side of that darkness who is there unconditionally.
9. Walking is as beneficial to the soul as writing. Henry David Thoreau wrote in his essay, “Walking,” “I think that I cannot preserve my health and spirits, unless I spend four hours a day at least — and it is commonly more than that — sauntering through the woods and over the hills and fields, absolutely free from all worldly engagements.” To walk four or more hours a day! I am happy to walk an hour in the woods. Taking the time to connect with nature and clear your thoughts is better than any man-made remedy I can ever imagine.
10. Love is always the answer. Whether it is love for ourselves, love for others, or love for the natural world, there is no better remedy for whatever ails. When The Beatles sang “All You Need Is Love” way back in June of 1967, they did not take this sentiment lightly. And, many years later, Ringo commented on the fact that this is not something that we can just talk about. We have to live it. Believe in it. Even work hard at it.

If I have learned anything, it is that Love is always the answer. For you, for me, for we, for always.

As the sun began to rise this morning, and I sat along the banks of the Loch Raven Reservoir taking random photos of the water and the wildlife, I was struck with a thought that I had forgotten long ago.

With the exception of a few runners passing by who were training for an upcoming race, I felt as if every image, every sound was my own. My immersion in the natural world seemed seamless. I let the bright, early rays of the sun find their way in and through me, as well as the sounds of the splish-splash waters, where drops remained suspended in mid-air, caught by the strong winds as several Canadian geese took flight. Then– to feel those very drops of water as that same steady breeze, cool and brisk, blew my way and mixed with the warmth of the sun’s intensity on my skin.

Alive, was all I could think. Alive.

It was in that moment that I remembered that I am not separate from all of this. It is easy for us to think there are two worlds out there: the natural and the man-made. Although it may be true that a clear distinction exists between the two, there is one element of each that is constant: the human being.

Unlike our man-made creations, we as individuals are not separate from the natural world. We are as much a part of it as the rising sun, the startled deer, the daffodils that have all awakened a bit early in these deceptively warm February days. We made the mistake long ago to separate ourselves from the beauty and the spirit of the natural world. On mornings like this, I feel reconnected to the energy we are all provided.

It’s always here, everywhere, for us to access. All we need to do is realize that we have the power and the opportunity to open the door, step outside, and realize that, in this morning, this moment, anything is possible.

I Believe In You

Originally Posted at http://linesoflove.org by Rus VanWestervelt on March 21, 2011

Readers: The following is a message I wrote last year to a few friends (and countless others who I know are feeling this way at times). I posted on our Lines of Love website, where we hope it reached some folks who just needed to know that they are never alone.

Well, Lines of Love is making a video around this message, and we would love a little input from all of you. The italics will be sung by a solo alto or soprano, and I will be narrating the rest of the piece.

What we want to know from you is this: When you read the following, what visual images do you get as you read? What movie is playing in your head?

In other words, how would YOU direct this message?

Let me know in the comments section here, on Facebook, through email, via text, or just shout it out to me if you see me around in the next few days.

I appreciate all of your comments, as I appreciate all of you.

Love,

Rus

I believe in you.

I know that, at times, the journey seems so long and so difficult that the very thought of taking just one more step seems, well, impossible. You struggle with what lies ahead of you as much as with what remains behind you. You look in all directions, but there seems to be no way out.

But I believe in you.

Maybe it’s money, maybe it’s friendships or relationships, maybe it’s the passing of a loved one. Or maybe it’s just because. There are times when we don’t need to pin our struggles on this one thing or that particular event. Darkness finds us. Sometimes it descends slowly, while other times it seems to pounce on us so unexpectedly that we are paralyzed with fear.

It doesn’t matter. I will always believe in you.

From time to time, our hardships accumulate like little weights, tugging at us, slowing us down, putting us behind others and our commitments or responsibilities. And because it is so slow and so gradual, we don’t even realize it until we’re wondering what has happened to us. How did we get here. How in the world will we ever get out.

At these times, when there is great despair or seemingly a loss of hope or faith, know that you are not alone. Know that you are loved. Know that your life matters.

Know that I believe in you.

Sometimes, when we’ve been immersed in tough times, we feel like we are sinking, unable to muster the strength to resurface and fill our lungs with chi, energy, life. But in those times, all it takes is a little tilt this way, a glide that way, and a gradual shift in our movement that brings the light back into sight. We see the promise of that new day, of possibility, and we know that it will take less energy to lift our eyes in a new direction and experience the love that awaits.

Love and faith and hope. Beautiful possibilities for you because you exist. Because you are loved.

Because I believe in you.

Do not worry. Let the sorrow come, and let the sorrow go, and know deep in your heart that we never left your side. We will be there when you resurface. We will be there when you fill your lungs with love. We will be there when you open your eyes into the bright, bright light.

We will be there simply because we believe in you.

And we always, always will.

At least, that’s what I’ve noticed on the online forums at baltimoresun.com, patch.com, and (of course), Facebook and Twitter.

As a teacher, I see it every day. Teens use social networking to bully, spew hatred, incite hating trends, and generally unleash a barrage of negative, hateful comments about nearly every topic.

As an individual tied to no affiliations, I see the hatred all over the place — on the road, in the stores, and — like their own children on Facebook and Twitter — online.

Why? Has it always been this way, and now the haters finally have a forum to throw down their anger, their frustration, their bitterness toward gays, entertainers, politicians, athletes, neighbors, and strangers?

Or is this a new phenomenon created by social media and our 21st-century give-me-now mentality that seems to govern nearly every aspect of the way we live?

And, are we all just a bunch of complainers? Or are we looking for real resolution?

I imagine that, if resolution was what we were seeking, we wouldn’t waste our energy on spewing so much hatred, would we?

No. I think this is more a matter of convenience and feeling “safe” behind our keyboards to be hateful. And if that’s the case, why do we gravitate toward the hatred and not redirect that energy into something constructive, if not positive?

If you are against same-sex marriages, then contribute your evidence-based and constructive argument to further your position. If you think that Whitney Houston is getting too much air time with her passing, create a site that recognizes fallen soldiers and let us know through FB every time there is, sadly, an update.

Please, your hatred does nothing for any of us. I care about your positions, your concerns, your ideas, but I do not gain anything from reading your slams and hateful comments. State your position, with authority and confidence, and maybe you will begin to effect the change in our system you seek.

This blog post is in response to Chapter 2 (“Facing the Future”) in Shakti Gawain’s book, The Path of Transformation.

There is a storm brewing out west that is headed our way. The latest maps show that Baltimore is dead center in its path, and we are on target for “plowable” accumulations of snow.

Within this storm is a great deal of energy. The path of the storm, and the amount of snow (or rain) it dumps on the Mid-Atlantic states, depends on how well it organizes itself, and how the various energy forces combine all at the right time. With the just-right combination of elements, the storm we could see in about 48 hours might be, in Bobby Weir’s words, Just Exactly Perfect.

Energy. Much of this chapter deals with the negative forces of it that exist in our contemporary society and that bring a lot of stress and violence in to our world.

Although this is a frightening time, it is simultaneously the most powerful time that has ever existed in this planet. (7)

This energy that is swirling around us — not so much from the approaching storm but in life itself — is being used haphazardly and negatively because we do not know what to do with it. We have so many options and avenues available to us — too many, it seems, and we just don’t know how to narrow our focus. We don’t know how to discriminate and select what is best for us, what is best for others, what is best for this world.

Instead, we spread our energy too far, too thin, and we are left feeling exhausted with very little to show for it.

I like to think of myself as that approaching storm. When I was much younger, my first teaching colleagues called me a “whirlwind of energy.” I spent my energy, all those years ago, haphazardly, and I think that I had dispersed my energy too far and too wide, causing little more than a dusty storm of desires and hopeful expectations.

I burned out in less than six years doing that. I had to learn the hard way.

Now, I am invested in energy that extends far beyond me. I will gather strength and energy where I can to live fully and genuinely, and I will use that energy in a positive way to give back and love unconditionally. But to do so without losing any of me or who I am or what I stand for.

Here is to today’s energy. Embrace it fully, and recycle wisely.