It's Coming...

This past Monday was the reveal of the 2016 Writers For Hope auction items and I'm still reeling.

There are NINETY-SIX. And if you're reading that as me yelling, you are correct. Because...NINETY-SIX!

Fifty work critiques, forty book prizes (some including more than one books), and six items for those of you in the market for more bookish accessories (and, seriously, who isn't in that market?).

On the day of the auction - Monday, April 4 - bidding will begin at 12:00 AM and will run only 24 hours, until 11:59:59 PM. Go into the comments section of each individual item to make your bid - with every item starting at $10, the cost for RAINN to keep the Sexual Assault Hotlines going for one person.

Want more information on how the auction works? Click here!

Want to know where your money is going? Head over this way!!

Want me to be using less exclamation points? I suggest you check back in May. Because I am far too excited about this year's auction to exercise even a little bit of self control when it comes to my punctuation.

I highly recommend you start strategizing your bidding plan. And, while you're doing that, I'll just be over here dancing.

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Let the Countdown Begin!

We are officially a week out from this year's Writers For Hope donor reveal!

I'm extremely excited to bring you the names of the many absolutely wonderful people who are taking part in this year's auction. That so many are donating is a stunning reminder of the good in this world. And, on top of that, the items that they're donating are completely made of magic. (Just you wait!)

Be sure to check in at the Writers for Hope website on Monday, March 7.

Until then, I leave you with this in the hopes that it offers you the same inspiration it does me...

#WritersForHope Take Three!

Hello, friends!

I am over-the-moon excited to announce that the 3rd Annual Writers For Hope Online Auction is officially in the works - and shall be held on Monday, April 4, 2016 from 12:00am - 11:59pm!

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The donor list is growing (by the hour!) because book people are the best people. We have lots of Writers For Hope returners, as well as some exciting new faces. 

I, very honestly, don't know that I will ever get over the extreme generosity of people - not just a willingness to give, but an excitement over it. One response I received to a donation request began simply with "YESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYES!!!"

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This year's auction is going to work the same as previous events. Readers, writers and book lovers get twenty four hours to bid on this year's fantastic items. The only difference is that this year, the auction will take place at the brand-spanking-new Writers for Hope website! Meander on over and check it out. 

I'll be listing updates there and here, plus don't forget to follow #WritersForHope on Twitter. And, for all those of you who are interested in donating to a fantastic cause, but can't wait for the auction - you can donate here at any time!

Finally, THANK YOU, to everyone who has made this event so successful in the past and to everyone who's planning on participating this year.

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Putting Realities in the Back Seat

I'm working on a new story. I'm two chapters in and it's in that tender chrysalis stage, where it could blossom into something beautiful, or it could erupt into a cloud of fairy glitter. That's what chrysalises do, right? Something like that.

I've found that the best way to sidestep glitter eruptions is to write from a place of possibilities - which generally means having to get Little Kid Kelly involved in the process. This isn't to say that I don't still believe in all sorts of possibilities, but the whole being an adult process can sometimes get me a bit distracted by realities.

This doesn't work for me when I'm writing. Keeping track of word counts and making goals for the same is helpful, but if I'm writing to that goal rather than to the story, I never get as much done. Basically, I need to get my grown up mind to take the back seat - letting the little kid mind run rampant through this new world discovering whatever she can.

Sometimes, this requires a push. And for this, I generally turn to childhood favorites - books, TV, or movies. Those fictional worlds that first made my developing brain explode in wonder. It doesn't matter if these things are no longer my favorite in their category, what's important is the reminder of feeling like absolutely anything is possible.

Here are some of my go-tos when I need reentry into the world of Possibilities:

This series was a staple of my childhood - the books that I was most likely to smuggle under my coat so I could sneak off and get some reading in at roller skating parties. And the books that left me with a never-to-be-fully-extinguished (but-thankfully-so-far-resisted) urge to wander through deserted construction sites in the hopes of meeting a kindly alien looking to gift me with powers.

Nothing gets my brain working like a dance party, and no song gets me back in my younger mind set like this one. This may or may not be because my sister, friends and I learned the dance to this...I can neither confirm nor deny. One thing I can say without reservation - I wish I could rock a turtle neck like these ladies.

There are very few rough scenes that can't be figured out over a pile of Legos. Something about working with your hands while your mind wanders...it gets the job done. Particularly, if what your hands are working on is building a Lego Hogwarts.

Chewandswallow remains one of my ideal vacation spots.

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My childhood was a revolving door of the original movies and extended universe books. I don't know that there will ever be another fictional world that so opens my mind to the beauty of never-ending possibilities.


So, what inspires you when you need to get creative?

My Year in Book Titles

Happy New Year's Eve, folks!

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2016 is knocking on the door and waiting not-so-patiently for us to welcome it in. But we'd just be rude hosts if we didn't take at least a moment to remember all the good times we've had with 2015.

*cues up "Through the Years" and tries to make it not-so-plural*

And, for someone like myself, who spends most of her reflective time staring at the calming, peaceful sight of an overcrowded bookshelf, what better way to think about these last twelve months than through the tomes I so adore?

So, based solely on their lovely titles, here's what 2015 looked like for me....

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

MARCH

APRIL

MAY

JUNE

JULY

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

Okay, you're up. How was your year?

#NoExceptions

Since yesterday’s historic decision regarding women in combat, I’ve heard a number of different responses, but I feel compelled to respond to one of them. There are some who are citing the occurrences of rape of women in the military by fellow officers as a reason why they should not be allowed into combat situations.

I so appreciate that these people are coming at this from a place of concern, but the way to stop rape from happening is not to deny women the same opportunities as men because some men are predators. In terms of allowing women into those conditions, every 107 seconds another American is sexually assaulted. 

These dangerous conditions for women are not exclusive to the military, they are an every day reality in the world in which we live. And if we’re arguing that women should not be allowed into situations where this is a constant threat, we’re arguing that women should not be allowed to live in this world. But this is the only world we’ve been given, making the only viable option to work to change it.

Removing possible victims from the situation does not stop rape, it merely postpones it. It is also impossible to remove all possible victims, as men are victims of rape as well – a fact which this argument of protecting women from combat situations ignores and devalues.

The way to stop rape is to show that we, as a society, have a zero tolerance policy toward it. That we, as a society, do not marginalize the victims rather than dealing with the perpetrators. And that we, as a society, fully believe in and support equality between men and women.

Rape must stop happening in the military and it must stop happening in all other areas of the country and world. And the only way to stop it is to make a conscious and constant effort to change the way society views women and sexual assault.

I’ve heard some people saying that they are all for equality, except for combat situations. This is a mutually exclusive sentence. One can not be all for something except for when they’re not. And if we want to live in a world where rape is not a constant threat we must be truly all for destroying these double standards and this culture in which women continue to be placed on a different level than men.

As a woman, I don’t want to be looked down on as less than. And I don’t want to be placed on a pedestal to be adored and protected.

Equal footing. Nothing more, nothing less. Anything else perpetuates the toxic aspects of our culture that feed into the frequency of rape.

Women having equality in combat situations is one step closer to that changed world. And I am excited and proud to see it on the horizon.

Sometimes When The Curtain Falls, The Show Goes On

Hey folks! In the mood for some ghosts and ghouls this Halloween week?

I'm over at the Opera House Arts blog every day this week blogging about different folks who have made the after-life decision to spend all their time in theatres. I don't know about you, but I can see the appeal...

Letters From My 5th Grade Journal

Hello my long neglected friends!

I'm so excited to be back on the blog. Way back when I last posted I mentioned the craziness of the upcoming summer season here, but I had every intention of at least posting occasionally during that time. Silly, silly Past Kelly and her outlandish goals.

But it's fall now, and as I've mentioned in the past, winter is my favorite time for writing and revising, which makes it very convenient that fall is when I feel my most creative. All my best researching and outlining gets done as the weather gets gloomier. My guess is that its all the season's ghosts clamoring to have their stories told...or something like that. Regardless, the old brain's a-percolating, which is always exciting.

Recently, during one of my customary where-did-I-put-that-thing-I-suddenly-can't-live-without searches, I came across my old fifth grade journal. I gave it a quick once over and decided that in this chilly weather/warm brain season, what better way to start my writing sessions than with a quick trip back to the early days....

Things learned: As the story goes on characters shouldn't always love the same things they loved in the beginning. Life happens. Things lose their shine. However, characters shouldn't turn their back on all their original interests. Some loves are forever.

Case in point: I no longer have an affection, or even patience, for soccer. The Best Friend Formerly Known As Roomie can attest to this. Hocus Pocus, on the other hand, still rocks.

Summertime, and the Livin' is Busy (& Awesome)

I have officially embarked on my first summer season with Opera House Arts. And it is ALL THE THINGS.

First off, it's always fun being the new kid on the block.

The folks I work with are buckets of awesome and completely the right kind of crazy - casually dropping into conversations their love of Empire Records and Step Up 2: The Streets.

Plus, they frequently request mid-day singalong/dance breaks.

And very little could eclipse the collective joy we felt when Magical Intern tracked down that taxidermied seagull we all wanted.

Then, of course, there's the place itself. Seriously, look at this view:

Which sometimes includes pirate ships.

It's July, which means that it's not completely freezing in Maine anymore.

And the summer artists are arriving.

There are so many amazing shows coming up, it's bananas. Of course, this means we're a little bit busy...

...but that just has us holding ourselves to a higher standard...

...and forging forward together....

...as a team.

So, all in all...my new job? I'm okay with it...

And what are all of you up to this summer?

I Can't Understand

Every one of us is a storyteller.

Each day we set out to tell our tales. And we like to believe that in at least our own stories, we are the heroes. I believe that this is a very achievable goal. Issues crop up when we start to think of our stories in relation to all the other stories unfolding around us.

The truth is, no matter how awesome we are in our own stories, we are very unlikely to be the hero of someone else's. That doesn't mean that we're the villains. It's just that at best we're supporting characters, while most likely we're really extras. Background to that person's story.

But we want to be heroes.

So, when we hear about the obstacles cropping up in other people's stories, we rush to defend ourselves.

We did not cause that obstacle. Because we are heroes. And we understand everyone's obstacles, whether or not they're ours. Because we are heroes. And it is important that other people know that the obstacle in question was not created by us. Because...well, you know. The whole hero thing.

Except that isn't really important. And we have no real way of understanding the obstacles of someone else's story.

But we act like we do, because heaven forbid we look ignorant.

When I was a kid, my little sister would ask me all sorts of questions. More than half the time, I wouldn't know the answer, but there was no way I was telling her that. So, instead, I made crap up. Because I was her big sister and it was my job to have answers for her.

I went through two years of pre-school, K-12, four years of undergrad and a two year Masters program and never managed to shake the fear of a teacher asking me a question to which I didn't know the answer. Most of the time, I didn't even care whether or not I'd retained the knowledge I was supposed to. I just didn't want everyone else knowing if I hadn't.

Because no one wants to look ignorant.

But even for the smartest, most well-educated people, it's impossible not to suffer some degree of ignorance when it comes to other people's stories.

I identify as a lot of things. Here are a few:

Female. White. Heterosexual. Catholic. Daughter. Little sister. Big sister. Aunt. Godchild. Godmother. Friend. Niece. Cousin. Rape Survivor. Writer. Reader. Storyteller. Development and Communications Director. Former Federal Employee. New Yorker. American University Alumni. Star Wars Fan. Obsessive Quoter of Movies. Nerd. Scrapbooker. Greeting Card Giver. Owner of Embarrassing Number of Adult Onesie Pajamas. Christmas Nut. Superhero Wannabe. Believer That Life is a Musical If You Make It a Musical. Baker. Pie Lover. Turtle Mom. Nutella Consumer.

Now, maybe one of you is reading this and thinking, "Yes! I am every one of those things." To you, I say, "Hello, soul sister." More likely, you're looking at this and thinking, "Yeah, I can relate to some of that."

That's really the best we can hope for. That we'll find things in other people to relate to. Because there is not a person in this world who can fully understand my story, as they haven't lived it. And there is not a person in this world whose story I can fully understand, no matter how close I might be to them.  Because I haven't lived it.

There's danger in claiming that we understand things we haven't experienced. It puts us in a position to dismiss or cut off a conversation that wasn't really ours to control.

When someone complains about the obstacles in their life and we use it as an opportunity to jump in and explain how we are not part of the problem - because we're heroes and we understand - we're hijacking someone else's story to make it our own. Which might not necessarily make us villains, but certainly doesn't make us the solution of obstacles.

Sometimes the best thing we can do is take a break from heroics. To settle in momentarily to being someone else's extra. To say, "I can't understand your story, not because I don't want to, but because it will never be my experience. I don't know whether or not I'll sympathize with it. I don't know whether or not we'll agree with each other when it's over. But I'd like to listen to it anyway." And then to do just that. To let that story take center stage, even when you want to distance yourself from the obstacles. Even when you want to say, "That might be true, but not about me." To play a supporting role.

Because, every one of us is a storyteller. And every one of us deserves at least one commercial free telling of their story.