Please come check out my contest at my website blog http://blog.cherylreneeherbsman.com/2009/12/01/big-holiday-contest.aspx

Prizes include:
$50 bookstore gift card
25 page manuscript critique or query letter critique
Signed copies of Breathing and Sliding on the Edge

Come check it out!!

cross-posted from http://blog.cherylreneeherbsman.com

There is so much to enjoy about the holiday season. But it can also be a time of stress -- there's so much to do, so much to get done before the deadline. I'm not a fan of deadlines. They are bringers of anxiety. And anxiety is mostly counterproductive. Sometimes it can serve us, light a fire under us so we get going. But mostly it just adds an unnecessary element of negativity to whatever project we're trying to accomplish/complete/etc.

Anxiety is a beast that feeds on fear -- the fear that it won't get done, that it won't be good enough, that it won't matter -- whether "it" is a paper for school, a report for work, a manuscript for submission, or even holiday shopping. So then the antidote for anxiety is not to feed the beast with the fear it so craves. And the opposite of fear is trusting -- that it will all get done, that it will be good enough, that it will matter/make a difference, etc.

So if you find yourself overwhelmed in the next couple of weeks, try to find the place of calm inside or do whatever calms you -- go for a walk, play ball, listen to music, take a bath -- so you can deny the beast. Because when the beast is denied, it loses it's power and becomes nothing.

It'll all get done. It always does. One step at a time. With the beast or without it. And isn't without it more fun?

I don't know what it's like where you are, but where I am it's blustery, gray, and cold. Winter is upon us. It doesn't ever snow here. So between the short, dark days, the rain, and the gray, there isn't a whole lot to love about winter in Northern California. I know some people would argue with me. We are lucky that our winters are mild, we have beautiful sunny warm days in the middle of December or January, etc. But those aren't qualities specific to winter, as in "Oh, I can't wait for winter because..." And it's even ILLEGAL to have a fire in your fireplace some days. How wrong is that? So today, I'm thinking the best (cheap) escape is turning to a good romantic summer story. I was going to make a list of my five favorite summery YA romances. I can think of lots of romantic YA novels I love. But not all of them are summery. Here are the summery ones:

There's Breathing of course
And there's Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler.
And Sarah Dessen has quite a few summer romances.
I've heard that Jenny Han's The Summer I Turned Pretty is good, but I haven't read it.
And, isn't that pitiful, I can't think of other romantic YAs that are summery!

So HELP ME come up with some good ones. The first three people to leave a comment on my website blog http://blog.cherylreneeherbsman.com with a recommendation for a summery romantic YA they love will win one of my awesome new bookmarks. Be sure to leave me your email so I can contact you for your mailing address! (Your comment won't show up right away, but they will appear in the order they were left.)

Bring on the summer romances!

cross-posted form http://blog.cherylreneeherbsman.com

For today's Friday Five, I thought I'd start your weekend off with some little inspirations. The first one is sort of bittersweet, sad mixed with inspiring:

1. Check out Carrie Jones' post about "To Write Love on Her Arms". This is especially key for anyone who has experienced depression.

2. Here's a quote from Marianne Williamson that is a helpful reminder: "We can always choose to perceive things differently. You can focus on what's wrong in your life, or you can focus on what's right."

3. This quote is from Wayne Dyer: "You leave old habits behind by starting out with the thought 'I release the need for this in my life.'" The point of this one is that sometimes we want something so badly, that we grasp on too tightly, squeezing all the life out of it. Go after what you want, work for it, but don't need it. Know that you are whole with or without it.

4. "Love is not a mere sentiment, but the ultimate truth at the heart of the universe." Deepak Chopra. Speaks for itself, no?

5. Finally, the last little thought for today comes from Albert Einstein as noted in the book The Secret: "Imaginations is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions." So imagine the life you want, not the one you don't!

I hope these little tidbits help you find a little inspiration today. Enjoy your weekend!

I'll be back tomorrow with an interview with 2009 Deb Kristina Springer!

cross-posted from http://blog.cherylreneeherbsman.com

Five thoughts on Halloween:

1. First a worry, cause those always seem to sneak in first for me: My 10 year old may be getting sick. Last year he missed the Halloween parade at school and trick or treating, sick with Strep. The year before that he was sick on his birthday (the week before Halloween) with stomach flu. Now it looks like he's coming down with something, not sure what yet, hope he won't miss Halloween again!

2. Costumes: My daughter always wanted home-made ones when she was little, the more unique or silly or cute the better. She's in high school now, goes to parties instead of trick or treating, but she still mixes the store-bought costumes with home-made design. My son has never wanted a home-made costume. Store-bought all the way for him. He's usually a movie character or a ninja or some other kind of tough guy. This year he's dressing up scary for the first time -- as the grip reaper. Creepy!

3.The grown-ups:  I usually go as a witch. I have a really good quality witch's hat and a fancy broomstick with a carved face on the handle. Throw on a black cloak/cape and I'm good to go... except this year -- my daughter is borrowing my hat. No time to come up with something new, so I guess I'm not dressing up this year? My husband is looking for a pig snout. He's planning to go in scrubs and snout and call himself Swine Flu.

4. Planning: I am waaaaayyyyyy behind this year. Have yet to put up decorations, buy a pumpkin or even candy! I clearly have my work cut out for me! Plus I have to be at the elementary school by 12:45 for the parade and party, so I guess I better get cracking. (Can you say no writing time today?)

5. But of course you can't talk about Halloween without talking about one of my favorite subjects -- chocolate Milky Ways were always my favorite Halloween treat, but part of the fun was the variety. I was never a big fan of candy corn or hard candy and I was deeply offended by the neighbors who gave out hard marshmallows or bit o'honey. Yes I know I should have just been grateful for whatever but come on! Ew 8P On that note, I will leave you with wishes for yummy treats and no tricks and, of course...

Happy Halloween!!!!!

cross-posted from http://blog.cherylreneeherbsman.com

As I've mentioned before, I'm a dreamer. I always have my eye on the next dream, always strive to reach it. It's part of who I am. It's part of how I made a long-distance relationship last over many years and part of how I reached the dream of publication. But it doesn't stop there, because there's always the next dream. And I find that longing for a dream to come true is bittersweet -- full of both hope and fear.

Why fear? Because WHAT IF it doesn't come true? We've talked here about what-ifs before, how they don't serve us. Yet I forget that again and again. And sometimes I feel like I can't be happy until the goal is reached. But isn't that what I said about the last goal? That it would make me happy and fulfilled? And it did... until it didn't anymore. I was reminded of this idea this morning when I received my daily note from Mike Dooley's notes from the Universe. 

 

They are these little spiritual reminders that are kind of fun.

We're always looking for that next person or dream or thing that will bring us joy and excitement and satisfaction, that something that will make us feel proud or loved or special. Many spiritual traditions suggest that you have to "be the outcome" before you can find that thing you're looking for -- you know like love yourself as you are before you can lose the weight or feel happy and proud of yourself before you can accomplish your goal. It's sort of backward to our usual way of thinking. Feel the end result in order to make it happen.

But I guess the thing is if I can start out feeling calm and joyful, self-assured and confident, proud and satisfied, then I'll still do what I was doing -- going after the same dream. The only difference would be that I'd be going after it without the fear and without the need to prove to myself or anyone else that I'm worthy of the dream.

Peaceful dreaming to ya' 

cross-posted from http://blog.cherylreneeherbsman.com

Yesterday morning I was seeking inspiration. So I opened an old notebook to see what I'd been thinking about back then. The page staring back at me was from almost exactly three years ago. Here's part of what it said:

I realized the purpose of writing in my life is to teach me how to live my life. Because what I love about writing is when I get to that place where I don't think or figure or control, where I'm completely trusting, in the flow, and just whooshing down the river, having fun and discovering new things, and where it all turns out even better than I could have imagined.

I feel like even though I get this at some level, I'm no better now than I was then at living my life that way. Daily life is so complex and busy and distracting that it's hard to sink into the moment and live from that place of connection. And maybe it's not realistic to think that kind of life is possible if you're living in our dazzling wold. But perhaps the key is to shoot for moments, glimpses of the river rapid ride. If we can make time to sink down and connect and live from that place even for a minute each day, somehow I bet that place would get easier to find. As if "somewhere over the rainbow" is inside us waiting for us to slow down and take notice.

Wishing you many moments of finding your inner 'over the rainbow.'

 cross-posted from http://blog.cherylreneeherbsman.com

Friday Five: Chocolate!

 We had the big video shoot late yesterday -- so fun!! Stop by my website blog for photos of all the action :D

blog.cherylreneeherbsman.com/2009/10/15/video-shoot-update-and-debsness-contest.aspx

cross-posted from http://blog.cherylreneeherbsman.com

As promised, I have a surprise guest visiting today! Have you guessed who it is?

Some of you may have already heard that there's a teen blogger, YA reviewer, who has her very own book deal! She made the announcement a couple of weeks ago and I've been dying to find out how this came about. Teen readers often ask me about how to get a book published at their age. So I figured, why not ask someone who is actually doing it!

Here with us today, is Chelsea AKA The Page Flipper!

Chelsea, thanks so much for hanging out and answering our burning questions today

First, how long have you been blogging and how did that start?

I first started blogging back in 2007. I'd already been reviewing for some websites and publishers looking for teen feedback, and I ended up having so much fun I decided to share my thoughts on EVERY book I read. And that's that. I'm really glad I had that first whim.

What can you tell us about your memoir that is being published -- what is the story you have to tell.

 

Well, basically, it's about the anxiety I've suffered from for years. It's a hard story to tell, because it's so personal, but I think it's very easy for a lot of teens to relate to. I'm trying to put a comical spin on it, so hopefully readers will get a laugh or two, too!

How did you get a publisher for it?

 

Deborah Reber, the editor, put out a call for teen writers and I instantly jumped on the chance. She organizes the series (Louder than Words), and chooses which writers to pitch. After sending her some writing samples and an outline, HCI Books accepted her pitch, and wham! I'm a soon-to-be author. I still don't think it's real.

Is the book written yet or is that still ahead of you?

 

I'm writing it now, so there's still a road to pave. It makes me uneasy to have a deadline, but it also persuades me to open up Word more often. Sometimes the internet is a wee bit distracting, so it's nice to have an extra push.

How are you feeling about it?

 

Nervous! For one, I'm afraid people will hate it. I'm very judgmental of my own writing, and I've always been nervous to show it to other people. I've met a lot of friends online who are avid readers and reviewers, so thinking of them possibly reviewing my writing is making my nails VERY short. And secondly, aside from the writing aspect, I'm nervous for my friends and family to read what's basically my entire aspect on life. It's very personal. I'm used to writing fiction, so it's a lot different, but still surprisingly enjoyable to write.

When will it come out?

 

It's scheduled to come out in Fall 2010 alongside two other teen memoirs in the Louder than Words series. Mine will be called "Rae". Look out for it!

Thanks for interviewing me, and for the congrats !

So awesome! Way to go, Chelsea. Remember to look out for Rae in 2010.

Love it when people make their dreams come true

Happy dreaming!

 

cross-posted from http://blog.cherylreneeherbsman.com

One of the subjects writers are frequently asked about in interviews is their writing process. I ask about it when I interview authors. Why are we so interested? 

For me, I think it's because writing seems like magic and I'm curious about how other people find their way to that magic. And writing seems to come from such different places for different people. For some it's linear -- outlines and character arcs and plot points. For others it's more organic -- getting quiet, listening, seeing what comes. Some writers need to be out in the world, immersed in the white noise of a busy cafe or listening to music. Others need solitude and silence. Some can work in both environments. 

When it comes to finding your own process, try everything that appeals to you. See what works. I love the idea of working in a cafe. But I can't do it. It's too distracting. When I write, I go someplace inside that's deep and different. I open the home of my body to the soul of a character. I let them inside so I can feel who they are and speak their words. I can't do that in a place that's busy. I feel too vulnerable, overwhelmed by the noise and busyness. For me, it has to be silence and solitude. I hate outlines, they make me feel constrained. But other writers swear by them. So try it both ways. Thankfully, there is no right or wrong when it comes to writing process. Try different techniques, spaces, atmospheres until you find the one that works best for you. And then know that you are lucky to have found it.

Happy writing!

 

 

cross-posted from http://blog.cherylreneeherbsman.com

Here it is: One of life's greatest secrets: We actually do know.

You know how you go through the day with people asking you what you want for lunch, what movie you want to go see, what you want to do with your life, etc. And how often do we say, "IDK!" Well, actually you do too. There's a part of us that knows the answers to all our questions. And I'm not meaning to sound all religious or wacky. But I was looking back through some old journals from when I was in graduate school. And I would write something like, "I've never been this unhappy. Should I think about leaving this program?" Followed of course by "I don't know. How do I figure this out?" Um, hello! Of course I knew what I wanted to do.

I was just afraid -- afraid of being a quitter, afraid of not living up to some imaginary parental figure who would be disappointed, afraid of failing, afraid of not knowing what to do next, of not finding a path that made me happy. But none of that adds up to not knowing. I knew after my first year that I was miserable. I didn't leave until after my third year. Two more years of writing "should I or shouldn't I? I don't know!" I left myself little hints all the time and then I'd quickly back away from those hints. Because I was afraid to know. I've learned to watch the hints I leave for myself now. To pay attention to those. Because really and truly -- we do too know. Own that. And watch what happens.

Enjoy your knowing. Keep a journal. Watch for hints. See where it takes you.

Dream big

cross-posted from http://blog.cherylreneeherbsman.com

Five on a Friday: Ghosts

1.The weather is supposed to be hot again this afternoon -- just a 'ghost' of summer past, now that the autumn equinox has come and gone. But summer need not end!

Check out my guest blog over at Summerland which should be up today. Don't forget to enter their totally amazing contest. The prize pack is ginormous!

2.Tonight at 6 pm I'll be at the Borders at Stonestown Galleria in San Friancisco for their Book Club. We'll be talking and hanging out. It should be a lot of fun. So stop by if you're in the area. There won't be any ghosts, there, I promise.

3.My friend from both the 2009 Debs and the Class of 2k9, Danielle Joseph wrote a sweet, wonderful book called Shrinking Violet

 

They're almost out of stock and won't reprint unless there's demand.Her book has only been out for four months. Don't let it become a 'ghost'! It's a really fun story you won't want to miss. There's also an awesome contest at daniellejoseph.livejournal.com/

4. Okay, now on to the actual ghosty stuff: today's interview is with the wonderful 2009 Deb, Megan Crewe. I was lucky enough to read an ARC of her book, Give Up the Ghost, a while back and I really loved it. The characters, including the ghosts, are  well-developed and totally draw you in. Here's the cover:



See how the ghostie is whispering in her ear. Pretty cool, huh?

Here's what it's about:

 

Cass McKenna much prefers the company of ghosts over "breathers." Ghosts are uncomplicated and dependable, and they know the dirt on everybody... and Cass loves dirt. She's on a mission to expose the dirty secrets of the poseurs in her school.

 

But when the vice president of the student council discovers her secret,Cass's whole scheme hangs in the balance. Tim wants her to help him contact his recently deceased mother, and Cass reluctantly agrees.

 

As Cass becomes increasingly entwined in Tim's life, she's surprised to realize he's not so bad--and he needs help more desperately than anyone else suspects. Maybe it's time to give the living another chance...

Doesn't that sound awesome? And actually, it's even better than the description. So on to the interview. Thank you, Megan, for being here to answer my three favorite author questions!

First, please tell us one thing you love about your book’s story or your characters.

I love that unlike most characters who can see ghosts, Cass (now that she's gotten used to it) enjoys her ability and sees it as more a gift than a problem.

Where is your favorite place to write? What is your writing process like?

My favorite place to write is at a cottage up north with enough land that it's completely private, sitting outdoors. I only get to do that once a year at my writers group's annual retreat, though! The rest of the year I have my special comfy writing chair.

I spend a long time brainstorming and jotting down random inspirations for a story. When I feel that I have enough to pull the pieces together from beginning to end, I write a scene-by-scene outline. If the outline works, then I start working on the rough draft, following and deviating from the outline as necessary. I usually go through about four drafts of a book (with some feedback from readers in between) before I have a finished product I'm ready to share widely.

Tell us about one dream you’ve chased in your life (other than getting a novel published) and how it turned out.

I've always wanted to travel overseas and visit many different countries and cultures. I made my first step toward that dream in my early twenties, when I took off to Britain for five weeks on my own. It was my first trip anywhere alone, and my first trip ever overseas, so it was a little scary, but mostly it was exciting. I loved every minute of it! Since then I've traveled to Italy and China and have many more places on my list.

Very cool! Thanks, Megan!

Here's a little more about Megan:

Like many fiction authors, Megan Crewe finds writing about herself much more difficult than making things up.  A few definite facts: she lives in Toronto, Canada with her husband and two cats (and does on occasion say "eh"), she tutors children and teens with special needs, and she has yet to make friends with a ghost, though she welcomes the opportunity.

To learn more about the book, go here

 

or here

 

To learn more about Megan, check out her website

5.In all seriousness, I believe I saw a ghost once. I was probably about eight or nine years old. But that's a story for another post Leave a comment if you've ever seen one. If enough people comment, I'll tell you my story.

 

 

Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend!

Have you been to Summerland yet? The place where summer doesn't have to end? Don't miss their ginormous contest. Less than a week left to enter! Tune in there tomorrow when I'll be guest blogging about why I love summer. www.summerlandbooks.blogspot.com

cross-posted from http://blog.cherylreneeherbsman.com

So there's been all this celebrity stuff going on this week -- like the whole Kanye thing and yet another celebrity death -- it's been a harsh year for those. What sits with me the most today is the thought of the relationship between Patrick Swayze and his wife, Lisa Niemi. Apparently, they met when she was 15 or 16 and he was 19. She was a dance student of his mother's. They married young and stayed together all these years. They stuck it out through life's ups and downs, through successes and failures, through drug abuse and rehab, through comebacks, and through cancer.

I imagine what it must have been like when she was a young teen falling in love with him. And I imagine the strength of their bond after all those years. Of couse I don't actually know anything about them. But I do love hearing about couples whose love lasted. And I imagine that she will suffer his loss so deeply.

I suppose I'm a sap, a sucker for romance, true love, and all that. But that's just who I am. I loved the movie "Dirty Dancing" when it came out. I was in my teens and in love with an older boy and all that. And of course I melted over the famous line, "Nobody puts Baby in the corner." I loved how he helped her be someone other than who her family knew her as, that he allowed her to draw out a part of herself she had never even considered before. And I think that's what the best relationships do, give us the gift of seeing ourselves in new ways and the gift of permission to try them out. I know my husband and I do that for each other. It's part of what makes relationships last -- the ability to grow and change and explore new aspects of ourselves. I think Jackson and Savannah did that for each other in Breathing. And in the book I'm working on now, it's also true of my MC, Sunny, and ... well, I can't tell you who yet. But let's just say that's a part of romance that draws me and is drawn into many of my stories.

So my heart goes out to Lisa Niemi and my wish goes out to all of you for a love that gifts you with ever new visions of you.

cross-posted from http://blog.cherylreneeherbsman.com

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be...And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." Marianne Williamson

This is a quote I have loved for a long time. I recently saw it again on the website of author Philana Marie Boles (Little Divas).The complete quote can be seen on her web page. This shortened version helps focus on the key idea that our fears do not serve us.

 

 
I tend to be a person who vacillates between being pessimistic and full of worries to incredibly optimistic and full of belief in the power of positive thinking. So for today's Friday Five, I propose a challenge to you. From today until next Friday, try turning your "what if" worries into "WHAT IF" possiblities Here are five common ones to get you started:

1. What if I don't succeed -----> WHAT IF I am incredibly successful
2. What if my loved ones aren't safe -------> WHAT IF  my loved ones are not only safe, but happy and fulfilled too
3. What if I'm not enough --------> WHAT IF I am perfect, special, and unique as I am
4. What if I don't know what I'm doing -------> WHAT IF I trust my intuition and go with what feels right
5. What if this is all there is --------> WHAT IF there is more than I can even dream of

Okay, okay, I know this may seem corny or dorky or like a Saturday Night Live skit starring a current politician, but really corniness can't hurt you. What's the harm in trying a little experiment for a week? Every time a what if comes to mind, try changing it to a WHAT IF. Even if all your dreams don't come true in the next seven days, at least you will have worried a little less

If you feel brave, share your what if to WHAT IFs in the comments. Then we can all WHAT IF it with you.

Have a gorgeous, fabulous, delightful weekend!

cross-posted from http://blog.cherylreneeherbsman.com

Creating Character

When I think about creating characters, I think about layers. Initially I may get an overall sense of what a character is like. But then I go back again and again to try to glean more information about them that can find its way into the story. This is especially true for the main character, but is important for all auxiliary characters as well. If we just stick with out first superficial impression of a character, they will feel flat. The more whole our characters seem, the more interesting they are both to read and to write.

When I was writing Breathing, Savannah's brother, Dog, was initially just the typical annoying little brother. But as I went back through, I needed to learn more about him in order to make him his own person, not just Savannah's brother. I needed to do the same with Jackson, with Savannah's mom and her mom's boyfriend, even with Savannah's friends and her mom's friend. I had to find out what they cared about, what parts of themselves they hid from view, what made them happy or sad. Not all of this makes its way onto the page of a book, but without it, the book may not make its way into the world. So how do you go about adding these layers of character?

1. My most tried and true method is interviewing. When I start writing a book, I just go, writing the characters to get the feel of them in the story. But about halfway through I pause and spend a week or so on interviews. I interview every character, asking them about themselves and also about their view of other characters in the story. When I learn something new, I turn back to the manuscript and look for ways to weave in this new information. Ask them anything and everything you can think of and write down their answers! I have a few excerpts of interviews with characters on my website.

2. Try putting your character in a situation and write what happens in first person. Then write the same scene from the perspective of another character in the scene, also in first person. Finally, write the same scene in third person from the perspective of someone watching what's going on. It can be interesting to see how the character handles a challenge from different perspectives.

3. Collage! I mentioned this one recently. My editor had suggested it to me when I was struggling to find the voice of a certain character. And I have to say, it was really fun! I bought a few teen magazines and went through and cut out words and pictures I thought the character would like. The coolest part was that I realized while I was looking for what she did like, I was also becoming aware of what she didn't like, which was equally important. It was very informative. And I highly recommend the process. I didn't end up putting everything I cut out in the collage. But all of it was helpful. Here's a photo of what my little collage looked like:

 

So those are a few ideas to get started on building character. I also recommend a book called Naming the World, which is full of helpful exercises. Let me know if this post was useful and what other issues of craft you'd like to see discussed!

Happy writing!

cross-posted from http://blog.cherylreneeherbsman.com

Dreams and Being Yourself

The other day I posted this quote on my FB and twitter:

"To fly as fast as thought to anywhere that is...you must begin by knowing that you have already arrived." ~ Richard Bach

It's from the book Jonathon Livingston Seagull, which is one of those I read long ago and many times since, one that made me wake up.

I came across that quote the other day and I wondered, why is this so hard? Why is it so difficult to TRUST that things will work out. Usually, when we think of trying to make our dreams come true, we think about how to create something from nothing. But what if we chose to believe that just because something isn't visible yet doesn't mean it's not real.

What gets in the way? Isn't it just Fear and Doubt? What happens if we make the decision to set those aside?

This got me thinking about my own Fear and Doubt. As I work on my next novel, I worry about so many things -- will readers like it? will reviewers like it? is it saying something important? is it clever enough? funny enough? romantic enough? A person can (and does) drive herself crazy

And it reminded me of this life lesson I've learned about a gazillion times. I call it "I am not the clown." The first time I really got it was when I used to volunteer for this organization that tended to families dealing with life threatening illnesses. Each week, I visited a nine-year-old girl with cancer. And I often wasn't sure what to do with her. My instinct was to let her lead and do whatever she felt like doing that day -- to make a space for whoever she was in that moment. But I never felt sure if I was doing the right thing. One day a clown came to the hospital and made her laugh. And I felt so bad because I hadn't been able to make her laugh. But then I realized that what I offered her was something totally different. It was a small thing, just time to be her, without worrying about anyone else's feelings or concerns. And over time, I came to see how much she appreciated that. And so I guess I learned to value what I had to offer.

How does this relate to writing and life as an author? There are so many authors to look up to. And sometimes I find myself wanting to be more like one or another of them. And then I come back to that old lesson. I'm not the clown. And I can't be the best Laurie Halse Anderson or Meg Cabot out there. But I can be the best me and trust that that will be of value.

So whether you're in school and finding yourself trying to be like a certain person or group of people, or whether you're a blogger and trying to keep up with what other bloggers are doing, or whether you're a writer or anything else, my advice from my lesson learned over and over is just Trust that what you have to offer the world is valuable and unique and that no one else can be you as good as you can.

Happy Dreaming