Orange Belts, Sparks, and Campaigns, Oh My!

Lots of news today! First off, I'm officially part of a three-person critique group, which means...ORANGE BELT! That's probably the quickest I'll ever move up in this writing ninja thing, since I think I have to finish revising my current WIP to get my first stripe, which means finishing the first draft of my current WIP, which means...a long wait. Oh well, one step at a time, right?

In other news, SparkFest started today. I'm just going to share a little story with you about the books that got me into reading. Pull up your computer chair, throw pillow, couch cushion, etc! I started reading when I was two and a half. Yes, you read that right. My grandma was very encouraging when it came to reading, and explained the mechanics of it to my tiny 18-month-old self. I figured it out about a year later. My parents also encouraged this great love of reading, my mom being a bookworm herself, so it wasn't that surprising that I caught on quick.

The books that made the hugest difference in sparking my interest? Dr. Seuss of course. :) Hop on Pop was the first book I ever read on my own, and Green Eggs and Ham was the book that proved to my uncles that I wasn't just memorizing (I had never read it before they showed it to me). Those books taught me so many things, from The Lorax and his love of the environment, to Oh, The Places You'll Go and the value of hard work and big dreams. I loved every tongue-twisting story in the Fox in Socks, and giggled like a fool at the antics of Horton and Yertle the Turtle. I think a lot of people are forgetting those books now. They're always on the shelf at the library when I go with F and A (the kids I nanny), which is sad because they're amazing. I recently introduced F to Horton the Elephant, and nothing has made me happier than hearing him giggle, just like I did, at the very same story. I encourage everyone to keep a little love for good old Dr. Seuss in their hearts, and pass his messages on to your own children. :)

To wrap it up, Rachel over at Rach Writes is starting her third Writing Campaign, which allows you to network and make friends within this lovely blogosphere. I'm signing up today, so hopefully I'll see you all there! Happy writing!

J