Who’s Your Idol?

Long before writing was even a glint in my peripheral vision, I aspired to be an outdoor photographer. This came as the result of an early mid-life crisis—high school, to be exact. Realizing that life wasn't getting any longer, it seemed "high" time to pick something to "focus" on and become good at. (Ok, enough puns). Photography seemed like just the thing, so I sat down at a computer and set to work.

Midst the websites of technical jargon and how-to articles, I stumbled upon a gem: Galen Rowell, master of light and all things outdoor-photography. I was hooked from the first mouse (and shutter) click. Not only was he a master, he was a pioneering master, leading the way in adventure photography, "a special brand of participatory wilderness photography in which the photographer transcends being an observer with a camera to become an active participant in the image being photographed." Cool! Sign me up!

As if his philosophy of participatory wilderness photography wasn't cool enough, Galen was also a writer. Ultimately, it was through his words as well as his photos that he became my vicarious teacher, mentor and, yes, my idol. Much of what I understand about photography, in particular the often overlooked emotional and philosophical aspects of the art, I owe to his genius, his insight, and his uncanny ability to share them with others.

Looking back, I realize Galen's influence in my life didn't stop with my high school photography obsession. It didn't stop with my close-but-no-banana application, wait-listing, and ultimate rejection to the competitive photography major at BYU. It didn't even stop once my over-zealous photography aspirations faded to not much more than a glint in the rear-view mirror of life. His influence settled much deeper—deeper than the dust now settling in his books on my bookshelf. Galen Rowell's vision changed the way I look at this world. Whether it be through a camera lens, a computer monitor, or the naked eye, my search for meaning and possibilities in the environment around me will never be the same again.

The late Galen Rowell and his passion for living life to the fullest will live on in this photographer and writer's mind's eye for as long as she is coherent. May he and his vision never cease to inspire.

WIP (Work in Progress)

I got the inspirational kick I needed to start blogging from QueryTracker.net. If you sign in and click on commenter names, it takes you to a profile of that person. I always get excited if there is a blog link. You can learn a lot about the competition that way (conniving grin). Kidding. Actually, I need all the help I can get since I'm relatively new to the fiction writing world. I owe many blogs and the people behind them a big thank you for guiding me in the right direction. So, THANK YOU, fellow bloggers and website keepers, for your generously imparted wisdom.

I got the inspirational kick I needed to start writing YA fiction when I visited my in-laws last summer. My husband and I took over his sister's room and I made the mistake of starting TWILIGHT, which I found on her bookshelf. I didn't see much of my in-laws that visit. I was intrigued by Stephenie Meyer's success story and, like many-a-sucker, thought to myself as I flipped the final page, "heck, I can do that…"

It's ok, I can laugh at myself now. After all, how rewarding would life be if we knew everything from the starting block? It's the journey that counts, right? That's what I keep telling myself—it's the long, dusty, winding, bumpy, carsick-invoking, dead-end laden, backtracking-filled journey that counts. Maybe someday it'll count for something other than mileage.

So, numerous grand ideas and false starts (i.e. eight months) later, I finished my manuscript. And the query letter. (Special thanks to Query Shark…though not too special—they declined featuring my query, *sniff,* though I probably would have been sniffling anyways had they featured it…harsh harsh harsh). I have one full manuscript with an agent right now (my first), and many more rejections ('bout 30) in the ol' inbox. I'm hoping for some helpful comments at best if I ever get the manuscript back.

Which leaves me at a crossroads—a dusty one—of what to focus on next. Write the sequel? Start something new? Gamble with spicy revisions? Rework the query letter? So many options, and no guidepost. Guess I'll just wait it out for the manuscript and hope it comes back with some hints. If that doesn't help, there are always more blogs to peruse for ideas…