How Long Will You Wait to Write Your Book?

Do you need help with writing your life story?

Perhaps you have an idea for a book and would like some writing advice. Maybe you need an editor. I am seeking aspiring writers who have a strong desire to get published. She is looking for writings in the following categories:

- Autobiographies
- Memoirs
- Life stories
- Christian
- Motivational

If interested, REPLY to this post. SERIOUS WRITERS ONLY. 

Bio: Neely is an author and editor with over 15 years of writing experience. 
Website: www.thebrownorangebooks.com

Feature #109: Matthew Horton, Freelance Artist...

Name: Matthew Horton

Current Job Position Title: Freelance Artist and Art Model

Company Name: Nacktsoul

Contact Information: mnhorton84@yahoo.com

Special skills:

Well-versed in the Adobe Suite including Photoshop, Illustrator, Premier Pro, and Flash

What did you want to be when you were a child/ teenager?

A myriad of things, really. I had typical taste that consisted of astronaut, firefighter, and such, however, the one constant has been art. Ever since I was cognizant enough to put pencil to paper I've always had drawing as both my outlet and my passion. It wasn't until middle school that I decided to pursue my art more aggressively by joining the school art club. Fast-forward to Benjamin E. Mays High School and I would naturally join up with the art club there as sanctioned by Theresa DuBoise who served as both a friend and mentor. I owe a great deal of my success to her devotion and on-hands approach.

After Mays I attended the Art Institute of Atlanta Dunwoody campus where I would earn my B.A. in Media Arts Animation, though, that's where things become rather...rocky. This was a time when the economy went sour and a lot of jobs dried up and so I spent a lot of time working jobs outside of my career field including warehousing, call-centers, and even groundskeeping recently. After I was laid off from my last job that's when I realized that I was tired of working for other people. So, I woke up one morning and one a whim I met up with a field who had said that she recently took up art modeling and so i inquired about it, she gave me a name, and from there things begin falling into place. Now I'm becoming the art as well as networking with artist who are also in the business itself.

Are doing your dream job?

I'm about half way there. I eventually want to open up a spa/ visual arts studio with some friends of mine. Despite the slow start I most definitely feel that I am where I am suppose to be.

What do you like MOST about what you do? What do you like the LEAST?

I love seeing the art come to life whether I'm producing it or being the subject of the session I love the confidence that comes with this field.

As far as what I like least...Me as a critic because I am extremely hard on myself.

Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?

 I see myself continuing to model, help out other models and working in a studio on the next big animation project.

Are you happy with where you are in life?

I'm getting there. I am my own worst critic and feel that I can always do better and become better in every facet of my person be it physically, spiritually, and mentally.

What more do you want to do with your life?

 I want stability. I want to be able to just take a trip out of town, out of the country, and be able to come back and still be financially stable.

What drives/motivates you?

My passion and my results. I love knowing that I am making a difference. From the art that I myself produce to the even becoming the art when I am modeling I love seeing the art come to fruition over time. Some might say that I am into instant-gratification, however, I beg to differ and insist that that's nature of the art field given how stimulating that it can be to the senses. In this case it's the visual arts.

What else do you do?

Aside from my art I am an avid comicbook fan and love cosplaying and attending conventions!

What is your advice to those who are seeking employment and have no hope?

Never give up. Simple as that. As cliche' as it may sound, you have to pick yourself up after a failure, evaluate what went wrong exactly, and take proper measures to correct your errors. There are indeed lessons in failure after all.

She's Gonna Jump!

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." - 2 Timothy 1:7

I am at a beautiful point in my life to where I do not worry about whether or not the net of safety will be there. I am at peace knowing that the Lord will protect, guide, and strengthen me as I edge closer and closer to THE CLIFF. I will refer to what I'm talking about as THE CLIFF for now. Not a literal cliff, though. This is just a figure of speech.

THE CLIFF has brought me over and given me stability and what seems to be like safety. It has given me the resources and inspiration to move forward and possibly burrow myself deeper into what I enjoy doing. THE CLIFF has motivated me to cling to my individuality and creativity, since I have tried failingly to blend in with those who reside on and in it.

This cliff that I refer to will be the LIFE of me. And when I take my leap, I won't be looking back. I won't want to return. I will simply DELVE into the purpose that the Lord has for me and forge forward. I won't worry. I will only persevere. I will survive. I will thrive. And I will expand.

I am squatting and looking at how deep the plunge will be...and I'm not afraid. I come prepared with a rope and a waistband. No net? That's cool. Jesus' hand is good enough.

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money." - Matthew 6:24

Feature #108: Michael Nye, Managing Editor

Name: Michael Nye

Current Job Position Title: Managing Editor of The Missouri Review

Company Name: University of Missouri

Contact Information: nyem@missouri.edu

Special skills:

Taking terrible off-balance jumpers; being turnover prone; inability to hit the corner three … wait, we’re not talking pick-up hoops, are we? Okay, then! I’ve taught undergraduate and graduate students at various universities for the past decade. I also have editorial, copy editing, administrative, grant writing, and social media skills that would translate to other career areas.

Describe your job story:

After I graduated college, I moved to Boston with little to no idea what I was doing out there other than I wanted to live in Boston. After a few weeks of searching, I ended up working for Putnam Investments as a portfolio analyst for three years. My major was in English; dumb luck that I got the job, but when you need work, you apply to everything, and I guess I was a good interview. In 2003, I was accepted into graduate school at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and earned my MFA in fiction writing in 2006. During that year, I began doing adjunct work at Washington University, teaching fiction writing. I also worked part-time as the managing editor of River Styx, a multicultural literary journal based in St. Louis. After a few years of cobbling together teaching and editing work, my girlfriend and I decided to move to Columbia, Missouri, two hours west of St. Louis, so she could pursue her doctorate in counseling.

I didn’t know anyone in Columbia when I moved here, so I asked my St. Louis friends if they knew anyone in town. So, I met up for coffee with a graduate student I had never spoken to before in my life, and while getting to know each other, I mentioned River Styx. She said, “Did you know the Missouri Review just lost its managing editor?” I didn’t! So I applied immediately, interviewed, and was offered the job, which I began in January 2010. I’ve been with the magazine ever since.

What did you want to be when you were a child/ teenager?

A baseball player. By the way, I didn’t have even the slightest ability to hit a baseball. All I really wanted to do when I was younger was go to college so I could be out of the house. There was no special ambition on my part.

Are doing your dream job?

I’ve never thought of my job or career as a “dream” job; it seems too definitive. I have no idea where the next ten or twenty or fifty years will take me, but I do know that, right now, things are good. Along with managing the magazine, I’m a writer, and in 2012 I published my first book, Strategies Against Extinction. Also, one of my job duties is to teach a class each semester. My job is a bit of a Swiss Army knife, and that will always keep my work meaningful.

What do you like MOST about what you do? What do you like the LEAST?  

What I like most is that I publish and promote writers. Like most writers, I feel squeamish about self-promotion, but I love telling people “Hey, you need to read THIS” and pass along another writer’s work.

I wouldn’t say there is anything I dislike about my job, but if anything, working forty hours a week means that I have to make time for my own writing. I get up early in the morning to do that, which is not that much of a problem.

Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?

I have no idea. When I graduated college, I couldn’t imagine that I would be living in St. Louis, tending bar, writing stories, and teaching classes. Five years ago, I would have never imagined moving to a college town and finding a job at one of the most prestigious literary magazines in the country. I don’t think or worry much about the long-term. If I focus on what’s in front of me—publishing a quality magazine, writing a strong story—then the rest will takes of itself.

Are you happy with where you are in life?

Yes, though, I think the question is misguiding. More important, I think, is to task “is my life meaningful?” The philosopher John Stuart Mill wrote “Ask yourself whether you are happy, and you ceases to be so.” Happiness is ephemeral. Meaning and purpose is not. And I find my work meaningful, for myself, and for others.

What more do you want to do with your life?

Publish a novel. Publish more stories. Read more good books. Continue to publish The Missouri Review and find new writers and readers to experience and enjoy literature. Those aren’t, I suppose, concrete and easy-to-define goals such as “buy a house” or something, but I like having a little latitude with my goals. Having a list of goals makes me feel like it’s more important to check something off a list rather than actually experience it.

What drives/motivates you?

The great American novelist Henry James has the answer to this one: “There are three things that are important in human life. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. The third is to be kind.”

What else do you do?

Writing and publishing really do take up the bulk of my time. Beyond that, I play a lot basketball and I’m a NBA junkie.

What is your advice to those who are seeking employment and have no hope?

Man, what a hard question. There are so many people that have been looking and struggling to find work, not just meaningful work, but any work of any kind. I feel like “keep your head up” or “have faith” shortchanges the struggle that regular people are going through. Find work does take weeks, months, even years, to get to a place where you really want to be … and even that might just be a stepping stone to what you’re really after.

I guess, and this will sound corny, but I’d start here: you can quit at any time, so why quit now? Be stubborn. Be persistent. And talk, every day, to people that encourage you. It’s really easy to get down on yourself and make excuses, especially when the country is really indifferent to your suffering. Talking daily to people that believe in you, that believe there is work out there for you, is a huge help. Send out a lot of resumes. Ask people if they’ve heard of anything or can help you out: call it networking or schmoozing or favoritism, whatever, but every business is a human business, and those connections matter. There is something out there for all of us: don’t give up!

Feature #107: Nile Livingston, Independent Artist

Name: Nile Livingston

Current Job Position Title: An Independent Artist

Company Name: n/a

Contact Information: nilelivingston@gmail.com

Special skills: Multi-talented visual arts.

Describe your job story:

Growing up I tried various forms of expression, dance, music, etc. I fell in love with visual arts because it's a limitless form of communication.

What did you want to be when you were a child/ teenager?

I've always wanted to be an artist. But if I weren't and artist I'd be a scientist.

Are doing your dream job? Heck yes!

What do you like MOST about what you do? What do you like the LEAST?

I enjoy making new connections, inspiring others to express their selves, and I enjoy bring new ideas into the world. What I like least is that I have plenty of questions, but rarely an answer.

Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?

Traveling the world.

Are you happy with where you are in life?

Mildly, sometimes I'm frustrated, but never helpless. Working through obstacles has allowed
me opportunities for gratitude, happiness, and growth.

What more do you want to do with your life?

To make my life simpler.

What drives/motivates you?

My mission is to promote self-expression and fulfillment, to listen to my heart, and to follow my own personal destiny.

What else do you do?

Graphic design commissions

What is your advice to those who are seeking employment and have no hope?

Stay productive and put your work out there for the world to see. There's a chance that someone somewhere will connect with it & before you know it you'll be making a living from doing what you love.

Feature #106: Monique Ogunsusi, Graduating Valedictorian

Name: Monique K. Ogunsusi (Monica Ogunsusi's Twin)

Position: Graduating Valedictorian (High School)

Special skills:

 I taught myself how to play the guitar when I was thirteen, and it is by far my favorite pastime. I also like brain exercises like the Rubik’s cube. Over the past summer I taught myself how to solve the 2x2x2 cube all the way to 5x5x5 cube. I also am very good at reciting math material in large quantities like powers, trigonometric identities, and even unrelated numerical sequences.

Describe your personalities:

I am a very “chilled” and relaxed person. There isn’t much that can upset me, meaning I’m almost always in a great mood! I love to help people and my peers value my advice and opinion because of its sincerity. I’m a firm believer that a man is only as good as his word, and I live my life as honestly as I am able to. But, I am also a very strange person. I pride myself in being odd. It’s different and unconventional, but it allows fun in my lifestyle.

What did you want to be as a child?

When I was younger I was very good with my hands, and I would start small renovation projects around my house. I was known as the mini mechanic. So I thought that I wanted to be a mechanical engineer who would build really cool gadgets for the CIA or the FBI or something. My biggest dream as a child was to build flying cars… I actually still have that dream. My original plan as a child has not deviated much, but it is no longer the same.

Are you in school?

Yes, I am currently dual enrolled into Middle Georgia State college as well as Mundys Mill High School.

Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years? 

Still in school! I will be completing my master’s program, hopefully abroad. I have planned to put my BS degree in Chemical engineering into practice in a foreign country as I try and obtain my Master’s degree. Ideally in France, China, or somewhere in Latin America.

Are you happy with where you are in life? 

Yes and No. Yes, I am happy that I have accomplished more than I would have ever thought I was capable of achieving less than two years ago. No, because I always feel like there is more that I could be doing, and if I am satisfied with the accomplishments that I have achieved now I won’t be to able reach my full potential.

What more do you want to do with your life? 

I want to give back more. I’ve been fortunate enough to have been raised in a privileged society where many things are handed to me, but that’s not the case for many kids in other parts of the world. The wealth in the world is not evenly distributed as it should be, and I’d like to change that. Through philanthropy and volunteering, I’d like to stop the suffering felt by families across the globe.

What drives/motivates you? 

My passion drives me to succeed. When you enjoy doing something you don’t need much motivation. I enjoy my field of study, and that allows me to continue excelling in it. But, my family is also another motivator in my life. They push me outside my area of interest so that I can experience different fields that I could potentially be proficient in.

What else do you do?

 I’m involved with many clubs and organizations, but the one that I’m most proud of is Student Government. Being a senator for SGA is almost like being an actual senator. The students rely on SGA to voice their opinions for them in order to make change on campus.

I also like to research outside of the required assignments given by my instructors. I am a part of a research team that is building a photo bioreactor that will allow us to collect algae. Once the alga is obtained we will then convert that into biodiesel that will power the greenhouse on campus. This is the kind of project that I find interesting, and what I choose to spend my free time doing.

What is your advice to those who have big dreams and aspirations?

Hard work is the only way to success; there is no other way around it. If you truly have a passion for something the only thing that can stop you is yourself, so believe in yourself and others will follow. Lastly, through God all things are possible, so have faith that if it is meant to be it shall come to pass.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
What do you do to uplift the people in your community?

I’ve been getting in touch with my old middle school in hopes of being able to talk to the older kids about their future. I’d like to show them that no matter where they come from, they can compete in the real world and that they have just as much chance to succeed as any other kid in America.

I also teach the appreciation of music through the learning of instruments. I give free guitar lessons to anyone that is interested in broadening their musical horizons. Music changes the atmosphere of wherever it is present, and that is why I think it’s important that it is taught.

How long have you been involved with engaging those in your community?

Since I started high school I have been active in my community. Had I known how rewarding it felt I would’ve started it sooner!

What do you want your peers to learn about getting involved with the community?

That being involved isn’t a punishment, but rather a way for you to pay forward your gratitude towards those who have paved the road for you. Giving back is really rewarding, and once you begin you’ll find out that it’s actually quite fun.

Are you working on any upcoming community projects?

Yes! Student government is hosting our very first annual color run 5k. This color run will raise money for the school system surrounding the college. This is by far the most demanding service project that I have been a part of, but I know that the reward for the community will amount for the effort we’ve put in.

How can we get involved?

Some people think getting involved means that you have to go to a homeless shelter every day and work 20 hour shifts, when it’s not. Yes, some people decide to give back like that, but that’s not the only way. There are small ways of giving back that also benefit the community. Volunteering to help the elderly in your own neighborhood, cleaning the surrounding areas of your school and neighborhood, or even just helping out around your school or church are small ways of giving back. There is no set guideline for volunteering, but as long as you are helping make someone else’s life easier you are doing your job.

Feature #105: Monica Ogunsusi, Graduating Senior

Name: Monica T. Ogunsusi (Monique Ogunsusi's Twin) 

Position: Graduating Senior (High School)

Special skills: Good soccer player and swimmer. Good at analyzing situations.

Describe your personalities: Analytical, determined, curious, honest, open-minded, and kind. These are words I would use to describe myself. My analytical, open-minded, and kind characteristics are some that I use out of school to help me relate and understand myself, my surroundings, and other people. My determined and curious characteristics help me to excel in my academics and keeps learning fun and new. I use honesty inside and outside of school. I see this characteristic as one of the most important, because without honesty there is no trust, and when people can’t trust you, you can’t form real relationships. I believe relationships are important, and that is why honesty is my most cherished virtue.

What did you want to be as a child?
I actually wanted to become a Veterinarian, because I loved dogs. I eventually saw that wasn’t practical, because I would sometime have to make hard decisions that would determine an animal’s life. That would not be fun. I found what I was really interested in, which is psychology and neurology, and from there I found out I wanted to be a Psychiatrist.

Are you in school?
I am currently in school. I am dual enrolled, so I am a senior in high school and sophomore in college. I will be graduating with my high school diploma and my associates in Biology this May. I am so excited!

Are you happy with where you are in life?
I am very happy with where I am in life right now. I can see that I am currently in an important growing stage, and this make new experience and just day to day life more interesting because I know that it is all shaping who I will be in the future. Also being in college is a fun and freeing experience, so I am just soaking it all in and having loads of fun!

What more do you want to do with your life?
I don’t just want to be a regular worker that sits behind a desk and has no influence on the outside world. I want to change people’s lives! I want to discover new things in the field of neuropsychology and find cures to some of the mental diseases our population faces today.

What drives/motivates you?
My future in helping other is what motivates me the most. Schools can get hard and life can get overwhelming, but I know that it all will be worth it in the end when I can help to save a person life!

What is your advice to those who have big dreams and aspirations?
Like you have heard before… Go for it! If you never try, you will never know what you can do. Do not be afraid to take on new things. I was hesitant to attend college so early and scared at what might happen if I failed. But you must always go for it, because the most unpleasant feeling to experience is regret. Always put your heart into what is it you’re doing. If you passionate about math give it you all, and if you aren’t, still give it everything. You should want to show future employers and yourself that you are capable of doing whatever you put your effort into. I also want to add something that I feel is very important. START EARLY! If you’re interested in medicine start looking for internships involving that field or volunteer at a hospital. Look for things that will gain you experience, because you don’t want to end up in your senior year of college with no tangible knowledge gained form your experiences that help you with your future career.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
What do you do to uplift the people in your community?

Being where I am now, good grades and my desire to attain a higher education, my community is delighted to hear back from me. My middle school has never had huge success stories and struggles to get students motivated. I go back and visit my old school so that I can show that that you can excel from the position you are in. I try an motivate them by showing them that someone who used to be in the same position they were in can do great things, so they can too!

How long have you been involved with engaging those in your community?

Like I said before, start early. I didn’t have someone to give me that advice, so I didn’t see the importance of giving back. But when I started community service back in the 10^th grade (two years ago) I found it to be a lot of fun and very rewarding! Volunteering at the senior living home let me bring smiles to people faces.

What do you want your peers to learn about getting involved with the community?

It’s important to give back, because you could shape someone future. Bringing joy to someone face or helping guide someone younger than to a path  that will help them be successful are all rewarding experiences. Don’t just do it for school or for a club you’re in, but do it because you enjoy it. Always find things that are going to make you and the person your helping happy!

Are you working on any upcoming community projects?

I am not working on anything particularly, but I am always finding new way to volunteer in my community.

How can we get involved?

Go out and find something you enjoy. It could be helping little kids with their homework after school, or playing bingo with the elderly. Whatever it is, go and find it so that you can enjoy giving back while also helping those in you community!