Quit Dreaming - Part 2

Guest Contributor: Kayleen Reusser
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While filing paperwork yesterday at home, I ran across an article I had kept for probably 10 years on my bulletin board. (There's no date on it so I'm not sure how old it is.) It is entitled "Quit Dreaming." The author is writing to potential writers. He says to

I've had to take a break from meeting with my Master Mind group this summer, due to family obligations. My grown children are moving to other parts of the country in a few weeks and that requires a lot of time and attention in helping them make the transition. Another is leaving for college in August and needs some attention there.

But, I'm tossing around the idea of writing a book - what kind it would be (non-fiction most likely), studying what it means to compose a book proposal, looking for publishers, etc. This is a big step for me as I have never wanted to write a book, preferring less time-intensive projects like magazine articles.

It is only because of my Master Mind group and the studying I've done in the past year on reaching for goals that I've had the desire to think this far ahead. I've already achieved some goals in having articles accepted in new magazine markets for me - Indianapolis Monthly, Elks, Outdoor IN, Farm & Ranch Living.

Now, as my home life looks to be fairly quiet and undisturbed and more space is available for projects, I think I’m ready to tackle a book. I had a couple of ideas. One was a biography and the other, a historical memoir of a town's connection with the circus. But I found books already published on these same subjects. Without doing more research I don’t think more information could be added to those subjects, so I’m discarding those ideas.

I would really like to write humor articles like Erma Bombeck. I think there is such value in humor and laughing at life. My kids keep a quotes board and they put me on there quite often! But to write humor is different than speaking it, I think. I'll be working on this facet of writing this year.

And then there's my travel bent. I love to write about travel and feel it is important for people to get away from work and their daily lives to travel and see new things.

I also think travel is important to bond people together. Our family still talks about our tour of Alcatraz and the trip we made to Dry Tortugas National Park off the coast of Key West several years ago.

Plus, I think travel is an educational tool that can help us to reflect on our present-day lives and appreciate what we have.

So, for many reasons, I enjoy travel writing. I write often for the Fort Wayne News Sentinel newspaper in this area. Lately, I’ve done stories on the Levi Coffin House in Fountain City, IN, the Johnny Appleseed Festival in Fort Wayne, IN, The Inn at Cedar Falls in Hocking Hills, OH, and the Gene Stratton-Porter home in Geneva, IN. I also recently wrote about the Cole Porter birthplace in , IN, and the Winchester House Inn B&B Inn in the same state for other magazines.

That type of research and writing is easy and enjoyable to me, so this will receive more thought and investigation. One member of my Master Mind group thought I should cover Bed and Breakfast Inns in my Midwestern state. I may be able to do something like that, and would enjoy it thoroughly.

I've also got a play I'd like to work on for possible submission in playwriting contests.

So, even though my well of assignments is slim now, it may be the chance I've been waiting for to do more research into a book. We each only have one life and I intend to make my count doing things I enjoy and that matter to me and other people.