The Write Stuff - Ann Deiterich

Today on “The Write Stuff,” we have Ann Deiterich author of “The Tryouts.” Here’s what she had to say;

How did you hear about Bumples Magazine?
I learned about Bumples Magazine through a chat room hosted by the Institute of Children's Literature. I've recently completed their "Basic" course, and still try to sit in on the chat room whenever I can.

Do you have other stories published?
Although I've had a large number of articles published online through Demand Media, "The Tryouts" is my first published story for kids. I'm thrilled about that!

Could you tell us what your story is about?
"The Tryouts" is about a boy obsessed with practicing basketball in order to make the team despite interruptions from his young neighbour, but things, of course, don't quite go as planned! The characters in the story are based on two boys in my own neighbourhood.

Did you always love writing?
I'd have to say "yes," but I've only been pursuing it professionally for about a year. My college degree is in journalism, and with those studies I came to realize that I enjoyed the production end more than the reporting, so I had a 24-year detour in the graphic arts field. Due to the economic downturn and a company merger, I was forced to "decide what I wanted to be when I grew up" and returned to writing. After more than twenty-five years, I finally got around to taking the ICL course. I'm now working as a solo freelancer doing a lot of copy writing and ghost writing for small businesses. My freelance site is: http://writewordforyou.com/

What's the first story/poem that you ever wrote?
Oh, gosh... that's hard to remember! I know I wrote stories through elementary and high school, but the first one I distinctly remember was "Laces" which I wrote for a college creative writing class about a very young girl learning to tie her shoes.

How long have you been writing?
Really, since I was a kid. I always enjoyed it and that's what put me on the journalism track. I figured that would be the right career choice for me. Although I didn't start writing professionally until the last year or so, I've been keeping a journal for over 20 years. That's been my outlet for writing. While I still write in my journal (a wire-ring notebook... and I've got about a dozen of them now), I have started a blog as well. The link is: http://writewordforyou.blogspot.com/.

The blog serves as a bit of a soapbox as well as a great reason to write topical essays on subjects that interest me and when the mood strikes.

Any advice you'd like to share with those still struggling to get published?
Have "rhino skin"... of course I mean that figuratively and not literally! :-) Having that attitude has been my stated goal since I began submitting for publication last year. I never take the rejections personally. If one magazine says "no," I re-evaluate the story and send on to the next one on the list.
The 2nd bit of advice is "be patient." After more than twenty years in printing where deadlines came up at warp speed, it was a HUGE adjustment to enter the world of publishing. The whole "4 to 6 months" for a reply has been a bit frustrating.

What's next for you?
Well, I've got several stories and articles sitting on slush piles at various publications right now, and I've written a children's picture book. I'm currently reviewing publishers who might be the right fit for it. Researching for submission is really the toughest part.

Anything else you'd like to add?
Just my best wishes for continued success at Bumples!

Check out Bumples Magazine at; http://www.bumples.com/