Showing posts with label Baxter Bulletin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Baxter Bulletin. Show all posts

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Another Arkansas American Idol?



While watching American Idol last week, I was shocked and thrilled to see the water tower at Gassville, Arkansas in the background of video shot about the last contestant to audition for the show from Texas -- David Pittman, Mountain Home, Arkansas.

David Pittman's performance was acknowledged by the judges as being worthy of advancement to the next round in Hollywood. Pittman has Tourette's Syndrome, a condition that can cause facial tics and involuntary movements. It does not, however affect David when he sings.

Pittman is a great contestant and will certainly be one to watch as the next American Idol begins to emerge.

Our local paper, the Baxter Bulletin has written a couple stories about him. The latest, just today reveals how Pittman's 4-minute audition on Idol has shone a spotlight on Tourette's Syndrome, a condition that he lives with every day. What a great feel-good story he tells, accentuated by his positive attitude. I can't help but feel a sense of pride since Dave Pittman is from my town.

I was thrilled when Arkansan Kris Allen won the American Idol title. Not only does Arkansas wear well its moniker of the natural state, but it is also apparent that Arkansas is a place filled with music. From the old blokes who strummed their fiddles on the front porch years ago, to the high quality of our school's marching bands, and now our latest celebrity, Mountain Home, Arkansas is all about the music.

Congratulations Dave. May you go far.

Friday, July 3, 2009

I'm a writer - sold my first story

I just sold my first story. Woohoo! I guess that officially makes me an Arkansas writer.

Writing was my intention when my husband and I moved to Arkansas, more than four years ago. I had intended to continue writing to supplement our income. My path to success continues to be as hilly and curvy as Arkansas' roads. But that makes for fun travel and beautiful scenery along the way.

Mine is a meager success, but nonetheless will serve as the impetus for future progress.

Getting established as an Arkansas writer, instead of an Illinois reporter, began with hours of reading about writing. That was helpful, even if not very productive. With no desire to work full time for a daily newspaper again, I settled for a little correspondent work for our local paper, the Baxter Bulletin. It resulted, unbeknownst to me, in an award from the Arkansas Press Association.

After living here about six months, I was invited to resume writing for the papers in Peotone, IL where I used to work. It was comfortable to write for the audience I knew about the issues of which I was so familiar. Interestingly, many readers were unaware that my work now originated from 600 miles away. But due to financial concerns, I was cut to just one story per month. I decided it was time to move on -- thus my first blog post, (see below New blog launched).

I continue reading about writing. And although I plan to pursue more traditional avenues, I am pleased with my first success in on-line writing.

I have tried several writing sites, just to get a feel for what is available. I settled on one -- Helium.com. This is probably one of the best sites I've found, in terms of earnings. My first story was sold to the 'marketplace,' a feature of Helium that allows publishers to buy stories from Helium's thousands of writers of all skill levels. My stories there can be viewed here. The support from staff is excellent. There are wonderful people there. And Helium offers the potential to earn money based on a complex set of criteria. While the potential for earnings for this type of writing pales in comparison to direct contact with publishers, I would certainly recommend it as taking those first steps when crawling will no longer will suffice.