Happy New Year! Another exciting year ahead full of change and challenges. First is that I simply do not have the time I once did to participate in WDC. This has likely been obvious for several years now, to everyone but me. Having loved my time on WDC and the growth it has brought me, I have been loathe to admit that I have simply too much going on and may have (gasp) outgrown it. This is something that saddens me but at the same time, encourages me as well. Between my business, my family, and... [More]

I'm happy to share another publication success. My short story "Alone" was published in the award-winning Duck Soup Magazine. It is the perfect home for the story. Fortunately the rights revert back to me upon publication so I am free to find it another home in the future. I was a little concerned, because of the story's dark themes and ending that I wouldn't be able to find a home for it. In addition, I have gone back to a W-2 job instead of self-employment which has put... [More]

This has definitely been a hectic week. Juggling work, personal stuff, and writing has made it very tough to focus this week. I haven't gotten any writing done but I did do some interviews for a feature article I'm working on. I still have some more to do. The worst part is I have zero motivation and I'm normally a very motivated person. I'd say this is a result of being overwhelmed so I'm trying to be less overwhelmed and pick five things to accomplish each day. The hope bei... [More]

Ok - so I'm full of nerves and excitement this morning. After debating on it for over a week, I decided to take a huge leap of faith that I even stand a prayer's chance of winning and submitted one of my short stories to the Texas Observer's 1st Short Story Prize. The entry fee was $25 but for an additional $10 you could get a critique from the judge, a major published author. I figure, if I'm going to spend a tank of gas on a contest entry, I might as well make sure I get someth... [More]

Ok, so in the last few days I've realized that it's very difficult to forgo my blog on WDC. More than half a dozen times I've thought about posting about something - things I'm struggling with, WDC concerns or even something as simple as a recent WDC win. My blog readers aren't generally familiar with WDC and would have no idea what I'm talking about nor would they care. But there are a number of wonderful people on WDC who do care and are interested in knowing or at leas... [More]

It's with a sad and heavy heart that I admit the inevitable. My blog on WDC is done. There's simply no reason to keep two independent writing related blogs, regardless of whether it gains me new WDC exposure or not. There's plenty of other ways for me to gain exposure on WDC and not duplicate my blogging efforts. Not to mention, since I maintain a number of other blogs, the more efficient I can be with it the better. And Wordpress allows me to schedule when my blogs will post so I ca... [More]

How exciting! My new column, “Teach Them Well: Twenty First Century Parenting” has officially debuted! The first column, “The Metamorphosis into Mommy” is a first person article about my initial years entering into parenthood and how the experience transformed me into “mommy”. The goal of the column was to set the tone for the rest of the column content and help readers identify with the column’s perspectives about modern day motherhood from an average w... [More]

Happy New Year WDC! It feels good to be bringing in another new year full of promise and possibilities. I had a fabulous 2010 - full of laughter and joy. I'm completely in love and loved for the first time in more years than I can recall. That alone made it a great year but I also experienced growth in my business, my daughter is health, happy, and thriving, and I was published this year, just as I hoped I would be. As I look toward the year ahead, I hope to be published several more time... [More]

Turns out someone heard my call for help via my blog and one of the moderators for "Let's Publish" stopped by my port and invited me to join. The group looks like exactly what I'm looking for so I submitted an application and am hopeful to hear a response soon. With the holidays it's unlikely I'll hear anything soon but I'm hopeful I will so I can do a little bit with the group before the daily work schedule returns. Right now everything is a bit slower and it's e... [More]

This is exactly why I stopped reviewing two years ago. There is a lot of time, effort, and mental energy put into reviewing on this site. But there are so many different levels of writers it's really hard to know where to devote the most time. I want to find people who are seriously committed to their craft, like I am. People who WANT to improve, people who are willing to accept that their work isn't perfect the first time they write it. People who know they're not a genius waiting t... [More]

What a great year it's been! 2010 was everything I hoped it would be and so much more! I'm in a great relationship and completely in love. I'm in love with our new home in Texas, was published this year, and have officially returned to writing. You can find many details at my website at http://www.michelledkeyes.wordpress.com. Currently, my boyfriend and I are co-writing a children's story that came about through a game we were playing with his daughter. The story has taken o... [More]

It's official - my short story Seeking Redemption has officially been published as part of the anthology Drastic Measures by Blueberry Lane Books! To celebrate this wonderful achievement I have created a website which does and will feature all the latest news about my publishing and writing efforts. Many thanks to the WDC writing community for the support and encouragement which helped me reach this wonderful milestone! You can visit my new website at http://www.michelledkeyes.wordpress.... [More]

It seems I'm being called to return to my writing most unexpectedly. In the past 10 days I've worked furiously to revise and polish two of my short stories for an anthology. The first one ultimately was rejected as not being a proper fit and further revisions to meet the publication needs would ultimately destroy the integrity of the piece. However, the second one was accepted and I signed the contract today. The release date is planned for right before Thanksgiving and I cannot even exp... [More]

I received quite a surprise and honor recently when a fellow writer requested I submit to an upcoming anthology. So without much ado or argument (after all, why look a gift horse in the mouth!), I began revising two of my pieces - Alone and Seeking Redemption. This is a challenge since I've not been doing any writing other than nonfiction for the past three months. My initial edits went well to hone the story but a part of me is intimidated by the idea of tackling Seeking Redemption. That st... [More]

I've been very busy recently with building up and running both of my small businesses as well as attending school. There's a lot of challenges currently but that's nothing new. I've gotten away from writing significantly - I'm not even blogging anymore. I just feel like after 10 years of blogging, I'm just saying the same things over and over again. Add to that the cyclical nature of life and I suppose I've reached burnout status. I still have hopes of returning to... [More]

Can you believe 2010 is almost to the halfway point? June 1 is only a week away! The last six months have flown by so fast I feel like I should have whiplash. My daughter turned 3 and almost immediately we succeeded with potty training. The move to Texas was a huge success and we're happily settled into a cozy apartment. As I look over which outlined my goals to myself for the year, I'm so happy to say I've already achieved much of what I had planned. With a little more than six mo... [More]

Oh I almost forgot to mention. I've been trying to rethink the title for my nonfiction novel currently titled "A Life in Progress" which is the title of an already published book. I'm thinking of titling it "Not Broken". What do you guys think? Too negative or just right? Would you pick up a book with that title?... [More]

Okay, I love all the site changes. I've included a link to my off-site blog and updated some details. Hopefully no one malicious will visit it and be nasty on it because it's a happy healthy place for me to share about my life, something I really enjoy doing. Maybe my story will inspire others. I miss the site every day and am dying to finish my memoir. I have so many ideas but just not time/energy to write it all down. I know I will eventually but right now I just don't. Until t... [More]

Okay, first I want to say that I really miss being active on the site. I wish so much I had the time but I simply am unable to participate. I am hopeful that one day the opportunity will return but for now, I'm starting a full-time customer service job in May to help revitalize my savings account that was decimated by the move, and also working on my various businesses. I now have 3 different businesses I'm focused on - my financial business which is mostly securities, a virtual assistin... [More]

The past week has flown by. I've been so swamped - business and personal things alike. Today, however, was pretty laid back. I had an eye appointment today so I did that and then did some shopping at the mall. While shopping for an interview-worthy suit to replace my current one, which is about two years old, I got a phone call from a company in Texas wanting to do a phone interview. Considering I was in a dressing room I asked if there was a time we could do it later today and at 3:30 I sho... [More]

Well, it's getting close to the two week mark for when we leave Indiana. I've been beyond swamped with client meetings and phone calls since 1/4 as I try to get as many of my securities clients situated as I can before I leave. I'll still manage their accounts but won't be as able to do face to face meetings. It's been a pretty exciting two weeks, just hectic. I'll end up with some very decent commissions this month which is a great way to start the new year right. It'... [More]

It feels so strange - I spent six months where my life revolved around school. I forgot how absorbed I would get in it and it was great feeling. There was always something to do. So much so that I was at loose ends over the holidays and now that I'm moving and not returning to school it's like trying to find myself all over again. How do I manage my time effectively? What do I do to keep busy without over stressing myself? How do I balance all of it? I spent today making phone calls ... [More]

Wow - who knew six months could be enough to make a person feel so out of touch? I feel like my writing skills have improved after my two semesters of college but still have further to go. Not to mention, most of my writing in the last six months has been nonfiction. That being said, I think I want to pick up my novel again. I was active for a while with a RL writing group through my college and my story, Seeking Redemption, seems to be a nugget of a novel. I'm really starting to think maybe... [More]

Well, after a six month hiatus due to school and homelessness, I am now planning a return to WDC. It's probably only until I either get too busy or go back to school but I'm hopeful to participate in the community again starting now through 2010. I hope to return to school in January 2011. I'm excited to reconnect with all my writing friends - I've missed you all!... [More]

I made the decision recently that Indiana no longer holds anything worthwhile for me and I'm going to move my daughter and I to Dallas/Fort Worth Texas. Here's my reasons, not it any order (except the first one) 1) Better weather 2) Better economy - Indiana has been impoverished for almost a decade due to major losses of technology and manufacturing jobs. With the current recession, it's only gotten worse. 3) Lots of friends and contacts already there 4) Better recruiting and ... [More]

It's been over a month since I blogged last which means it's past time I did an entry to let all my dear friends know how I'm doing. On December 18th I will complete my second semester of college. Somehow I'm not quite sure how I managed it considering everything that was going on. I was homeless until September 15th when my daughter and I moved into an apartment. During that time my car died, I had outpatient surgery, Fall classes started, my daughter was sick, and I was (and... [More]

If I have any faithful readers left at all, Happy Halloween to you. And to the rest of the WDC community as well. My ticker on this site tells me it's been 43 days since my last blog on here. It's amazing how quickly things can change in that time. I'm recovered completely from my surgery and start working out next week, with the help of a personal trainer so I don't re-injure myself or overdo it. Classes are going great - hectic as we've passed the halfway mark. I have... [More]

The August Quotations contest wasn't one I could participate in, simply because I had no internet at the time. Nonetheless the quote did make me think of a nonfiction story. You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life. ~Winston Churchill For a long time in my life I existed, quite simply, to make other people happy. I had no concept of my own happiness. In fact, it wasn't until a year ago that my therapist fatefully asked me one ... [More]

Libby and I finally moved into our own place last Friday. We have our own space, plenty of food, a house full of packed boxes and internet access. I hope to eventually return to WDC but for now, I've gotta get caught up on my studies. I had hernia surgery on 9/2 and am recovering well from that. Ultimately things are getting better every day. It's been a long, hard four months to get here but we're finally here.... [More]

Well, it's been a crazy few months and I don't have a lot of time so this will be very brief. I became homeless in June and am still technically homeless now. I'm hoping to be in my own place in early September. I don't have internet access at home right now which makes it extremely difficult for me to get online during my free time, which is pretty limited anyway. I'm also still going to school full time as well as doing my business plus working part-time in my college writi... [More]

Finally, a bit of good news. Libby and I are officially moving August 1 into a place of our own. The transitional living facility would have micromanaged me too much so I decided to take the leap of faith and get our own place in order to maintain my sanity. I have so much going on I really don't need to be dealing with all the other stuff. Not to mention it was a minimum four month commitment that I wasn't even close to comfortable making. I will be so glad to be leaving this particular... [More]

I can't believe it's been a year already. And what a year it's been - from being laid off twice, choosing to end my unhealthy relationship with my boyfriend, being displaced at Christmas due to an ice storm, the struggle to pass my securities exams in January, my struggles with my writing and trying to improve, then more recently my decision to return to school and finish my English degree in May, the ongoing struggle to build my business, and then my homelessness as of late June and... [More]

Tonight, in an effort to put to words the difficulties of the last few days in a form other than my blog, I've been exploring a free verse poem. I'm considering a quatern form as well. At this point I have a title "A New Face" and a couple of rough draft stanzas. I'll let it sit for tonight and come back to it tomorrow or this weekend if I have time. I have a lot of math homework to catch up on among other things. I also have a Key Points Review to do too, which I'm hopin... [More]

I found a decent place for Libby and I to live temporarily. It's a transitional living program to help me work out a solution to this housing issue. Now maybe I can get some things accomplished finally.... [More]

Please note, as of today, I am moving into a homeless shelter. My former best friend has become mentally unstable (or at least that's the only thing I can assume because anything else is simply too awful) and I'm being forced to leave. I have no financial resources at this time to do anything else but hope to have an apartment in August.... [More]

Anyone who knows me, knows that I don't deal with emotions well. It took me almost ten years after the abuse of my childhood to come to terms with it and I'm still learning to deal with the emotions. Anger is the most difficult one. And recently my best friend made me so angry I didn't dare speak to her for fear of what might come out and cause further damage. So for two days (a long time when you live with someone) I have stayed away intentionally (and told her I would be doing so) ... [More]

Turns out my best friend and her family aren't happy with me living with them anymore so I'm having to move. I'm still working out details but at this point it's looking like in the fall. Things are gonna get pretty nuts again for a while as I work toward getting promoted another level in my business so I can make more money and try to arrange to move etc. Whee-fun - NOT!... [More]

It's amazing what you can do when pushed to rise to a challenge. I'm taking 9 credits hours this semester, which is a very short six week semester, in an effort to get some of my general education credits out of the way so I can move on to my undergraduate work. This session ends on June 26 and it looks like not only am I going to survive it (which I was unsure of early on) but I'm going to pass with flying colors. I've got a solid A average in my education class, a pretty firm B... [More]

It appears that I may be making a slow re-emergence into WDC after my long vacation. Classes are going well even though it's a brutal schedule (2 classes M, Tu, Th from 10 - 3 plus an online math class) and my business is still making sales and progress albeit not as fast as it was. I'm managing adequately, much to my surprise. I'm tired, don't get me wrong. By the time Thursday gets here I'm usually so exhausted I can't think. Forget doing homework Thursday, I'm luck... [More]

Okay, I have to say I'm honestly astonished. I mean I've been pretty inactive since, what, February? March? And yet today, I'm promoted to a yellow case which is just about one of the coolest things. I'm so honored (and it seem such a silly thing when you look at it but really - it IS a validation) and appreciative of all the support I've received in the last year for my writing. I've learned and grown so much with my writing that I can't even express my gratitude ade... [More]

I'm very surprised at the impact that this website has had on my writing. As I work on my writing scholarship applications and have to repeatedly declare why I want to write and what my dreams are, I find myself going back to the writing I've created on this site. I've had a number of people support me over the last year and I've made a number of new friends. But most importantly, it's brought me closer to my writing and to my reasons for my writing. And hopefully over the c... [More]

I'm admitted to my local college, and I have meetings scheduled for Monday and Tuesday to go over my transfer credits, my financial aid awards, meet my department chair, and other miscellaneous school related stuff. I've already registered for one course for Fall term and have an idea of what courses I'm planning to take in summer and fall. All my classes are in the middle of the afternoon which means it shouldn't interfere with my business. If I work my business for 8 hours on M... [More]

My best friend is returning to school for her psychology degree and that gave me the idea that maybe I should go back to school too. That maybe now was the perfect opportunity for me to pursue my biggest dream which is to be published. I would love to be able to write - maybe not full-time but at least regularly and have my work published. But I think I've reached the point where I can't really learn the rest of it in self-study. There are techniques and skills in writing that I need to ... [More]

I'm finally starting to feel more like myself after almost two weeks of illness. My cough is almost gone and while I still tire very easily, I'm working again and have resumed pretty much my full-time schedule once again. I have a lot to do over the course of the next few weeks before I leave for California - an auction/business meeting this Saturday, a yard sale next Friday and Saturday, and then I leave the 28th for California until 5/2. That's, of course, in addition to all my usu... [More]

I'm not quite back to normal and probably won't be for a while yet but I'm keeping food down and my fever is gone. I'm up and about albeit shakily. I'll probably take it very easy the rest of this week and get back to it again tomorrow. I'll be focusing for the next couple of weeks on changing my diet. The fast food must go. I spent part of my bedridden time working on a new puzzle that I found by http://www.goanywherepuzzles.com, which solves the space issue that'... [More]

If you've never gotten the flu shot and been fortunate enough to never get viral influenza (which is what the flu shot protects against, not the cold or more common stomach flu) consider yourself fortunate and take my heartfelt advice: GET THE FLU SHOT! I was one of those people who was too arrogant and too uneducated to get the shot (along with a healthy dose of fear of needles). I'm 29 years old and while I've not been a dedicated to my own physical needs as I should have been, I c... [More]

It has been a crazy, wonderful month. My business is growing like never before - tons of new clients, plus my first new recruit and a second one will hopefully be signing on Saturday. I am pushing really hard to meet my goals this spring and so far it's paying off really great. Sorry I've not been around much - I miss everyone but it's not liable to change anytime within the next six months. I've also been getting involved in some local organizations which I know my previous t... [More]

Things are very hectic currently so I'm going to step back from my WDC activities. I'm not entirely sure for how long but at this point I'm 200% focused on my business and don't have the mental energy to devote to WDC. Even my other blog isn't getting any postings lately. I'm sad at having to step away from my writing but at this point, it's a necessary and valid choice to make.... [More]

It's amazing to me every day when I think of how quickly Libby is growing. She'll be 2 on the 28th and it's astonishing to me. I can picture her sweet face as she breastfed and gradually fell back asleep in my arms every night for two months. I can remember all her firsts: smile, tooth, word (pretty), laugh (on Mother's Day 2007), crawl, and steps. She climbs in and out of her car seat and I get tears in my eyes. How did this amazing toddler get here, seemingly without even askin... [More]

I went on a little bit of a shopping spree yesterday. I needed to get some new tops for work and found a really great sale that meant the tops were only $10 a piece. I almost want to go back today and get some more. There's a definite design difference between Wal-mart and Sears. In any case, I finally found a birthstone ring I liked after almost 2 years of looking for one. It has three topaz stones surrounded by diamond chips. Very pretty. I also got a pair of white gold hoops and a whi... [More]