Sustenance

That was the theme for the Goodman Theater’s GeNarration program last winter. I did finish the sessions this time and wrote about Christmas Eve dinners my family used to have with my mother’s family. It changed over the years and I told how it did and how we don’t have those dinners anymore. I did see my cousins and their kids for a buffet dinner at Golden Corral on December 14, but it was not the same as having it in a home.

I’ve not written anything since the end of the GeNarrations classes, but I read a poem of mine at church on December 18 at our Christmas program. The one I read was Happy Birthday Jesus. We had one service at 10 am on Christmas morning, no Sunday school and an hour earlier than the normal service, so people could get home to celebrate with their families. Sadly, the assistant pastor lost his son to a seizure that afternoon after he had preached the sermon.

Other things going on are that The Chicago Senior Clown Troupe is meeting again and we made our first appearance at the Renaissance Court Christmas party on December 16. Here is a picture of us.

Getting Serious About My Writing Again

I have not been keeping this blog up to date on my writing pursuits and I have not been very active, but that is soon to change. I entered a short story I wrote in The Furious Gazelle Halloween Contest on September 13.

I am now a member of an SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) critique group and got feedback from two other people on one story I have been trying to get published. They suggested that I shorten it for one thing. I sent them a version I had shortened to enter a publishing contest, (it did not win, or I would not still be trying to publish it). I haven’t gotten their feedback on that yet.

I decided to get a professional editor to look at another version, written in rhyme. I found some through my account with reedsy.com. There was a payment problem with the first editor I had agreed to work with, so I will now be working with someone else. Our collaboration starts Monday.

The Fall GeNarrations program will be starting on September 30 and I signed up for it again. I did not finish the Spring session. I don’t know what theme they have picked out this time. I hope it is one I will be able to relate to at least. I already reserved my free ticket for the play the theme will be based on, Clyde’s by Lynn Nottage. I will let you know how I like it and keep you posted on my writing progress.

Still Trying to Get Published

It has been some time now, but I finally did submit one of my manuscripts to All About Kids Publishing. I sent them Smidgen Pigeon: The Great Migration on December 14. I’ll keep you posted if I hear anything from them. I am still waiting for Writer’s Digest to announce the winners of their self-published eBook contest. That will be the end of this month. I have sent them one of mine, The Salty Prince and am hopeful, (but not very optimistic) that it will win something. I would be happy with any recognition from them. I will certainly announce it if I do win something.

Another Rejection

In the middle of August, I saw an ad on Facebook that Sylvia Magazine was looking for Christmas themed poems. I had two I wanted to get published, so I sent them. On November 5, I received an email from them apologizing for the delay and saying that my poems were not what they wanted. I think it is too late to send Christmas poems to another publication, or does anyone know of a magazine still accepting material for that season. I know they want submissions months ahead of the issue it is to be published in if it is accepted.

Not a Winner

I did not win the Reedsy contest, but the story is there for people to read. I also recorded my GeNarrations story about supporting my neighborhoods on their You Tube channel, but I have not checked to see if the uploaded it yet. There has been no news on some of my other submissions yet and I hope it is true that no news is good news.

Contest Entry

Hope in Spite of Rejection

I had another rejection of a poem I wrote and sent to Cricket Magazine. On July 20, I got the standard rejection saying their editorial staff reviewed it but decided it was not quite right for their magazines and wishing me luck in getting it published somewhere else. I am kind of proud of myself though for taking the risk (and expense) of submitting my two Ebooks, THE HUNTER AND THE DEER and THE SALTY PRINCE to Writer’s Digest’s contest for Ebooks. I am trying to keep a positive attitude because I know God can work that in my favor.

It was a real leap of faith for me to enter that contest, and spend the amount of money they charged as an entrance fee because my first reaction is to not want to “waste” the money when I am not going to win. I don’t feel that my writing is good enough to beat stiff competition, but I know it is good enough for God to use because He gave me the talent. If it is in His plan for me to win at any level, I know I will.

Reminder of My E-books for Sale

Size: 500px × 500pxImage URL: https://scontent-ort2-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t45.5328-4/204646235_6364595223565834_1868549919097144598_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-3&_nc_sid=c48759&_nc_ohc=zRwegupM8AYAX_q32wD&_nc_ht=scontent-ort2-2.xx&oh=b1198dbc24eba6065e4e49e69c48a82f&oe=60DE0478TitleE-book of rhyming poem storiesPrice$1.49Product Type-Website Linkhttps://www.amazon.com/s?k=Christine+Cassello&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_nossDescriptionThe book will appeal to anyone who likes rhyming poems, fairy tales and folklore.

Size: 500px × 500pxImage URL: https://scontent-ort2-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t45.5328-4/209053773_4300712656645504_4984172488351719951_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-3&_nc_sid=c48759&_nc_ohc=cggAsjbRKO0AX___MBw&_nc_ht=scontent-ort2-2.xx&oh=3a4339a80e96457ac68e016909e2bc86&oe=60DDA5C6TitleE-book of more rhyming poem storiesPrice$1.49Product Type-Website Linkhttps://www.amazon.com/s?k=Christine+Cassello&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_nossDescriptionThis book of additional will appeal to anyone who loved the first one or stand on its own.

Size: 1410px × 2250pxImage URL: https://scontent-ort2-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t45.5328-4/204366884_4224514167614370_5893771493017791219_n.png?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-3&_nc_sid=c48759&_nc_ohc=7GcFNzhgqHoAX8yw-Do&_nc_ht=scontent-ort2-2.xx&oh=c0fdc07dcdb02f9adedea8bf38760649&oe=60DECD3ATitleE-book picture bookPrice$1.00Product Type-Website Linkhttps://www.amazon.com/s?k=Christine+Cassello&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_nossDescriptionA young boy has the ability to make things move when he sneezes.

Submitting Again

I have submitted two works of mine to Ladybug/Cricket and two to Chicken Soup for the Soul. I will give updates when I hear back from them. I also sent in a piece to Razzle. These were done early this morning, or late last night, so It will be some time before I get a response but I did get emails that they were received and will be read.

Future Best-Seller

GeNarrations Winter Session 2021

Theme

Striving for Greatness

“God isn’t looking for your perfection, He’s looking for your yes.” This was said by Matt Tommey in his 5 day Artist Rise Up! Challenge. I saw the ad for it on Facebook. God has told Matt to raise up an army of artists, (in the broadest use of the word, including writers). He’s encouraging us to remember that we were uniquely designed by God for a specific purpose. We are the only ones who can be us and do the assignment God created us for. Matt has a mentoring program designed to give us that mindset, show us what skills we need and how to get them, and how to make a living following God’s plan for our lives.

At the same time I was in Matt’s challenge I was part of the way through a 31 day Wisdom Challenge by Pedro Adeo. Beginning January 1, Pedro and his guests took a Proverb a day and discussed it. They shared their personal testimonies about how following the teachings of the Bible helped them start and grow their businesses. He also has a mentoring program and I was considering enrolling in it.

When I started listening to Matt, who was saying very much the same things Pedro and his guests were saying, I hesitated for awhile wondering which one I should get into. Pedro was gearing his teaching toward entrepreneurs, or those who want to become entrepreneurs and Matt was working with creatives. I decided that I fit better into that category and enrolled with Matt.

While I know my calling, or assignment from God is to write, I was not given clear details on who I am to write for or what I am to write and I have been seeking to find the answers. It is my hope that the mentoring program will help me to discover that.

I want to become excellent at what I write and be able to make a comfortable living from it. I used to be able to imagine a book I wrote becoming a best seller. I would travel the country doing book signings and speaking at conferences, schools, and other venues. I had stopped believing that was possible, but I want to get it back.

God delights in doing what we see as impossible to show off His power. He can keep me healthy and give me the energy to keep up such a pace well into my 90’s, if it takes that long.

I am looking for more chances to submit my writings and have made 5 submissions and queried an agent this month. Two were submissions were already rejected. Most of the markets I submitted to are non-paying and only give one, or sometimes a few more, copies of a printed publication. The majority are online only, not even in print. But an acceptance by one, or more of them, will give me name recognition .and another addition to my portfolio. And there is a sense of achievement and pride from being published.

I have lived most of my life already and feel like I wasted much of it. I have to keep striving with the time I have left and not give up. That’s why I titled my personal blog something I want to keep reminding myself “It’s Never Too Late!”