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Thursday, April 25, 2013
Friday, April 12, 2013
Group Blogger's Giveaway! Win $250 dollars!!
Mom, the Intern / Freckles Never Go Out of Style / Rolled Up Pretty / What Happens When You Live / Delightful Deets
Let Me See You Sparkle / Lora Knight Photography / Silver Lining / Gentri Lee / Bella
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Author Interview on Melissa Lemon's Blog
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Meet Non-Fiction Author Kylee Shields
Hello Kylee. Thanks for being a guest on my blog today. Can I offer you a virtual cookie?
Those are so much better for me than the real ones-haha.
Will you please tell us what your book is about and who it is for?
Author: Kylee Shields
Release Date: October 2012
Publisher: Walnut Springs Press (Facebook | Twitter)
Genre: LDS Self-Help
Do you know what it means to be a kigatsuku person? Are you currently in a “hurricane” relationship or a “bridge” relationship? Do you know what it takes to be “righteous in the dark”? Have you struggled to find your place in the world as an LDS single? Do you feel like a misfit or a menace—like a circle trying to fit into a square?
If so, you’re not alone. It used to be an anomaly to be twenty-one and single in the LDS culture, but now there are entire stakes filled with single adults. In this book, author Kylee Shields explains how you can make the most of your single life, even if your current situation isn’t what you expected.
Make It Happen is a collection of principles, blog entries, stories, and conversations had on couches, floors, kitchen tables, and at many single-adult gatherings. It is filled with practical ways to make changes in your life, find hope, increase faith, strengthen relationships, and build the kingdom.
Audience: It was originally written for singles from a single person’s perspective but after many great reviews it seems it is for anyone who is looking to make needed changes in their lives.
I can see how it would be good for a wider audience. We all struggle with motivation and set backs from time to time. What made you want to write this book?
I didn’t originally want to write a non-fiction book. I have always wanted to write a YA fiction novel. But life has a way of bringing things in and out my life and the opportunity came to put a bunch of my blogs, conversations, experiences, and essays together. Also, I have to say that my mom kept pushing to make this book happen.
What would we do without moms?! And I hope you get to write that fiction novel someday. Please give us a peek into your writing life. How much time each week do you spend writing? Is your desk messy or clean? Do you have a schedule or are you sporadic? What helps you stay motivated? We want to know what makes you tick as a writer.
The Concept:
I started blogging when I moved to Boston at the age of 26 and I love it! For the next few years I would blog about my travels, my experiences in Boston, my friends, and my ideas. I noticed a lot of people really relating to my blogs—people would bring them up in conversations at dinner, etc.
At the same time I noticed a lot of unhappy single adults around me. They seemed stuck in a cycle of working, eating, going to bed, and doing it again the next day. They were not living their dreams or even making goals anymore. They were waiting to be married for their life to happen. I NEVER wanted to be like this. I also never thought I would be single this long.
So I kept writing, journaling, blogging, and people started suggesting I write a book. My mom was a big proponent of me turning my ideas into a book. So over the course of many years, grad school, and life I turned my thoughts into a book
The Writing:
Once I started to conceptualize my blogs/stories/ideas into a book I had to go find them and gather them in one spot. I copied them all into a word document and started dividing them into different chapters or ideas/concepts.
It was really hard for me to decide how many chapters and what topics were the most important. Some ideas were really important to me but not to the general population of LDS singles. So once I gathered ideas of topics I chose my chapters.
Then I sort of storyboarded my chapters on my wall for about a year. I moved them around and folded up the corners when each chapter was completed. This was a visual way to really motivated me to finish my book
Whenever I would get writer’s blog (which happened a lot) I would take lots of breaks, listen to great music, and I always went and played my piano for inspiration. I also found having lots of different conversations with other singles stimulated my writing process.
The Editing:
The hardest part of writing this book was was deciding what to include and what to cut. I sent my chapters to many of my friends and family and asked them for their feedback, what I should cut, what stuck out to them that they loved, etc. I am really grateful for all their time and attention to detail that helped my book become what it is today.
When I sent my manuscript to my publishers I had already cut many chapters. My editor asked me to to cut 12,000 more words and I ended up cutting 5 more chapters. All that cutting, switching, deciding took a long time and a lot of work.
My Writing Space:
I write on a small desk that has my Mac Laptop and it sits on a sort of laptop desk thingy that props it up and makes it easier for me to type. My desk isn’t to messy but since it’s small it can get a little cluttered. I usually drink Diet Coke and eat jelly beans when I’m writing.
Thanks for sharing your process with us. I like the storyboard on the wall thing. I'm sure that would help keep me motivated and thinking about my story as well. And lucky! Living in Boston sounds amazing.
Thanks for sharing your process with us. I like the storyboard on the wall thing. I'm sure that would help keep me motivated and thinking about my story as well. And lucky! Living in Boston sounds amazing.
Please tell us some of your favorites.
Favorite treat: jelly beans & Diet Coke
Favorite stress reliever: swinging on swings Ooh, that's one of mine, too.
Favorite office supply: sticky notes
Favorite punctuation mark: ...
Favorite day of the week: Sunday
Favorite movie: (currently) “How to Train Your Dragon” Such a great movie! And this is to see if we can get you drooling...
Describe for us what your surroundings would be if you walked into your favorite piece of art. Feel free to be as literal or figurative as you would like.
One of my favorite pieces of art that I have is a painting of the Ponte De Vecchio Bridge found in Florence, Italy. I would be smelling all things Italian, hearing that amazing Italian language, and my eyes would be intoxicated with all the different colors of the buildings on the Bridge. I think I would peer over the edge into the dirty water, close my eyes, and be so grateful to be back in Italy!
One of my favorite pieces of art that I have is a painting of the Ponte De Vecchio Bridge found in Florence, Italy. I would be smelling all things Italian, hearing that amazing Italian language, and my eyes would be intoxicated with all the different colors of the buildings on the Bridge. I think I would peer over the edge into the dirty water, close my eyes, and be so grateful to be back in Italy!
I hope this photograph does it justice. I've never been to Italy. One final question: who is your favorite non-fiction author?
Today it is going to be C.S. Lewis. Tomorrow it will probably be Rabbi David Wolpe, or maybe Malcolm Gladwell. I have so many but today I chose C.S. Lewis. He wrote the book, “A Grief Observed” and seemed to know exactly what it feels like to have someone you love die. It changed me and represented so many of my real emotions about death.
I think it's pretty clear that you have good taste in everything. Thank you so much for being a guest on my blog today. If you would like to learn more about Kylee and her book, please visit her blog. Or this one.
I think it's pretty clear that you have good taste in everything. Thank you so much for being a guest on my blog today. If you would like to learn more about Kylee and her book, please visit her blog. Or this one.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
8 Tips to Writing a Wicked Awesome Blog Post
I have been doing a lot of blog writing lately and thought I write a post about a few suggestions of what I think makes for an awesome Blog Post. I’ve been blogging since 2006, one of the only times I was an early adopter, and have learned a lot about the particulars of writing blogs versus writing in other styles. So take it for what it’s worth.
1. Pick a GREAT Title/Heading:
When you write a book you have to give your reader a hook in the first chapter. When you write a blog post you have to give them a hook in the title. You get about 3-5 words to summarize and interest your reader. Choose your title/header wisely. Some of the best titles come directly from your content. Choose strong appealing titles that draw your reader in. Remember that you are competing with so much media you get a short chance to draw in your reader.
3. Visual scanning:
I think this is one of the biggest blogger mistakes. Many times if a reader sees that the blog post is longer than they can scan w/o scrolling down on the page they won’t read the blog at all. So...writing short, to the point, brilliant blogs are much more attractive to readers.
When a reader looks at your blog it should be visually pleasing and easy for their brain to process. So be sure to write short, easy to swallow, paragraphs. Run-on-sentences will KILL your blog post.
Less is always more when writing a blentry (blog entry).
4. Good quality content:
Become besties with a dictionary/thesaurus. See if you can find unique vocabulary to say what you want to say. It is amazing what synonyms make your writing more applicable to readers. Don’t get to preachy, intelligent, or use too big of words, but adding variety really does make a difference
Focus on ONE subject. Although many readers need a lot of stimulus, have ADHD, or are in the instant gratification—to many topics are a buzz kill and lead readers to drop out or leave your page in pursuit of more information on many of your topics. Stick to what you know and what you want to talk about. In other writing situations this is called your Thesis Statement, or the point you are trying to get across.
5. Utilize Links:
Readers love links BUT be careful or you might just be asking your reader to leave your blog and go wandering elsewhere. NEVER use a link to introduce new content. Utilize links to define words, to give clout/evidence to back up your ideas, or to give your readers other resources about your topic. Try not to put too many links in your post or that gets distracting.
6. Media/Pictures:
Like the links above be careful with your media (youtube videos, etc) and your pictures. They should go directly along with your post. Avoid putting in pictures or media in your post just for aesthetic effect. I know sometimes we get tempted to make things pretty and visually pleasing but if they are too distracting, again you will lose your reader.
Choose media that looks professional. Make sure they are cropped appropriately, that the quote is correct and actually by the attributed author, etc.
It is brilliant if you can use images to replace words. Never use words if you can accomplish your ideas with an image.
7. Call to Arms/Challenge/Question to Readers:
Not every blog post needs a challenge at the end or a question BUT they are a really good way to get your reader to think about your post long after they have finished reading it. HOWEVER, don’t just plop don’t any blanket blah question at the end. This is also the death of your post. Readers don’t like writers/bloggers to be condescending or treat them like idiots. If you want to ask a questions or issue a challenge then make it count and be sure to invite your reader to come back to the blog.
8. SHARE. SHARE. SHARE:
Readers of the world have WAY too many options out there to read. Most actual readers, not the readers that just happen upon your blog, but actual readers have certain blogs they visit, re-visit, and again go back to. They usually have a news blog, a music blog, Pinterst, Facebook, etc and so you need to pull them into your world. You do so by sharing your writing with people who are already invested in your and your life!
Don’t just “share” your posts online. Remember that people in your life are interested in what you love, what makes you tick, and what you are passionate about so open your mouth and invite people to your writing place. You might be surprised at how many people will end up jumping in your boat (when you invite them).
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
LDS Cottage is selling my book!!
A friend of mine found my book on the shelves at a local bookstore, LDS Cottage, in Mesa, AZ. I had no idea that they were selling my book. Thanks for finding it Lori Lish!
Book Review By: Seth Adam Smith
What do you dream about at night when no one else is around and all you can hear is your heart? What place, thing, or achievement do your thoughts wander to when they aren’t focused on anything else? What do you wish you had but don’t?…Make it happen!” (Kylee Shields)
Kylee Shields (author of Make It Happen) is a truly remarkable person.
Kylee Shields, author of “Make It Happen!”
Before I met her in January of 2012, someone told me that she was an accomplished writer and that her book had just been accepted for publication. As someone who wanted to write and publish his own books, I instantly wanted to learn more about this up-and-coming author (and perhaps learn the secret ways of writing a book!). I nonchalantly introduced myself and casually steered the conversation towards writing (“Oh, you’re publishing a book?! Well, that’s just totally new information!”). After hearing about her book, I told her about my own desires to publish.
I then made the fatal mistake of asking her if she had any advice on how I could write a book.
I say “fatal” because Kylee asked me about my goals. “Well, what goals have you set to write your book?” she asked. I shrugged and sheepishly admitted that I was waiting for some thunderous moment inspiration; a moment that would overwhelm my senses and provoke me into a twenty four hour spree of passionate writing, in which I would produce America’s—nay, the world’s!—most inspirational novel.
“Sounds to me like you don’t really want to be a writer,” she said with a grin.
I was a bit startled by her comment.
“If you wanted to be a writer, you would make it happen,” she continued. “I play the piano, and people come up to me all the time and tell me that they wish they could play the piano like me. I then ask them ‘Well, have you set goals to play the piano?’ And when they answer ‘no’ I reply, ‘Well then you don’t really want to play the piano, you just want to tell me that you want to play the pino. If you really want to do something, you would make it happen—and nothing would be able to stop you.’”
Her words reverberated through my soul (and I’m not making that up!).
Not long after that, my fiancee, Kim had gave me a blank, leather-bound journal. “For you to write your book,” she said. She then batted her large, cat-like eyes at me and filled me with an irrational confidence that proclaimed: “Yeah, Seth! You can write your whole book in two weeks!”
So with the encouragement of my fiancee, Kim (and the verbal kick in the pants from the author Kylee), I made the goal to write my book in two weeks.
And that’s how I made it happen.
So I owe a debt of gratitude to Kylee Shields, a truly remarkable person who has made many things happen in her life and in the lives of countless others. Because of her life’s motto (“Make it happen!”), Kylee has lived a life that many people dream about, but few people achieve. Indeed, despite many personal obstacles, challenges and frustrations, Kylee has made life happen for herself. She has studied in Jerusalem, recorded a CD of original music, worked in AmeriCorps, traveled to Italy, Africa, Scotland, and Ireland, started a non-profit organization, and currently works as a counselor at the ANASAZI Foundation (and those are just a few of the things she has done).
Her most recent accomplishment (as stated earlier) is the publication of her book, Make It Happen: A Guide to Happiness For LDS Singles. Though the book was largely written for an LDS audience, its packed with brilliant and insightful ways for people of all walks of life to make changes in their lives, find hope, increase faith, and strengthen relationships.
No matter who you are (LDS single or not), I guarantee you that Make It Happen will help you…make it happen! :D
Thanks for everything, Kylee!
I Wrote My Book!
End of Book Blog Tour by: Lexie Hogan
Make It Happen Tour: Book Review & Giveaway
About the Book
Title: Make It Happen: A Guide to Happiness for LDS Singles
Author: Kylee Shields
Release Date: October 2012
Publisher: Walnut Springs Press (Facebook | Twitter)
Genre: LDS Self-Help
Do you know what it means to be a kigatsuku person? Are you currently in a “hurricane” relationship or a “bridge” relationship? Do you know what it takes to be “righteous in the dark”? Have you struggled to find your place in the world as an LDS single? Do you feel like a misfit or a menace—like a circle trying to fit into a square?
If so, you’re not alone. It used to be an anomaly to be twenty-one and single in the LDS culture, but now there are entire stakes filled with single adults. In this book, author Kylee Shields explains how you can make the most of your single life, even if your current situation isn’t what you expected.
Make It Happen is a collection of principles, blog entries, stories, and conversations had on couches, floors, kitchen tables, and at many single-adult gatherings. It is filled with practical ways to make changes in your life, find hope, increase faith, strengthen relationships, and build the kingdom.
Review
Make It Happen is an inspirational self-help book designed to help LDS singles find happiness in a marriage-oriented culture. Kylee incorporates quotes, doctrines, action questions, and real life experiences to illustrate the principles and ideas she is trying to convey. Even though I am not single myself, I have a lot of wonderful friends and family members who are and who are struggling to find happiness as an LDS single. However, the great thing about this book is that it is not just meant for singles; it can be applied to any person, in any stage of life.
There were so many topics covered in Make It Happen; everything from being in a healthy relationship all the way to how to make better use of your scripture study time. They are simple concepts that most of us have already heard. However, they are also explained and illustrated in a way that makes them seem "doable".
These are some of my favorite concepts outlined in the book:
- Make it happen
Of course, as per the title, the entire book revolves around the principle that whatever we want in this life we can obtain by simply "making it happen". (Not to say that this is easy.) However, by making the decision to try we can take charge of our life and make positive changes.
The Make It Happen concept is nothing new. It simply is what it implies. It’s making things happen in your life, not hoping things will happen or waiting for others to make things happen in your life. It’s figuring out what you want and going after it. (p. 46)
- Life is meant to be happy
Sometimes we forget that even though this life is supposed to be a trial, we are also supposed to find joy in the journey. Kylee encourages readers to find what makes them happy and to go for it.
In order to be happy in your present circumstances, you must believe. Believe you are meant to be happy in this life and the life to come. Believe God has a perfect plan for you. Believe you matter to those who know you. Believe you have a specific purpose and that you can live up to your potential. Believe you are loved— and act accordingly. Believe, and if for some reason you cannot, then borrow my belief in you for a few moments. (p. 173)
- Be okay with who you are
Even though this book encourages positive change, it also inspires readers to be happy with who they are. I love how Kylee uses a story to illustrate this principle about how her sister loved herself even after her body changed through pregnancy (I can totally relate!)
I like how she knew she could be ashamed or hide her post-pregnancy belly but instead she loved herself. That belly represented her labor of love. I wish we could all be a little kinder to ourselves. Sure, most of us could afford to lose a little weight, spend more time at the gym, eat less (or at least eat healthier), but in the end no matter how we look, we should love who we are. (p. 170)
One of the best parts of this book is that the author not only tells you that you can change but she also tell you how to go about doing it using her own real life experiences. She doesn't claim to have all the answers (who does? :) but shares her own stories in the hopes it will be of benefit to someone else.
Make It Happen is an eclectic blend of encouraging and inspriational concepts, told in a friendly, conversational way and highlighted with relatable stories
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