Category Archives: Just a PERFECT Thought

Is Editing Ever Complete…

09 Tuesday Jul 2013

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Is Editing Ever Complete?

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I currently have one of my manuscripts out to an agent, but received an e-mail from another agent that I had submitted to earlier in the month. She had the typical rejection response, “Thank you for your submission, but we are going to pass on your project. It doesn’t fit into our list of projects, but please continue to contact other agents.” However, this particular rejection letter was a little different. It stated, “please continue to edit and submit to other agents.”

This made me laugh out loud. “Please continue to edit.” I guess that was a nice way of stating that my first fifty pages of my manuscript needed continued editing. When is the editing complete? I had read through my manuscript at least three times already. I have to admit that I find an editing error here and there each time I read it, but when will the editing be perfect?

I think this an impossible task. Writing styles change. It’s just like when I use to model. I was never perfect for ever agent. One agent said my eyes were too big and another agent said my eyes were perfect, but my height was too short. Nothing I ever did made me perfect under ever circumstance.

All I can say is to edit your manuscript several times and then put it away. Take it back out and edit it one more time…now submit it to agents. When an agent likes it, they will pick it up…even with a few grammatical or spelling errors.

Good luck!

Written By: Ask Ms Mandi

Welfare to Work or is it?

02 Tuesday Jul 2013

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Welfare to Work or is it?

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Today when I was at the park with my dog, I overheard two women talking about this welfare to work program. I will call them Ann and Mary for clarification.

Ann was telling Mary about how she has had to be on public assistance since her husband died. She was complaining about how she had very little time to look for work and take care of her children. She went on to explain to Mary that the welfare department required her to volunteer 30 hours a week of her time in order to receive her small cash assistance of $600 a month.

Mary couldn’t believe that Ann had to volunteer for 30 hours a week. “Wow, that is a lot of time to give to a company…will they hire you after you do this?”

Ann went on to explain that there were no guarantees to employment. She had never known anyone who actually got hired from volunteering their time.

“Ann, didn’t you volunteer for the county?” Mary asked.

“Yes, I did. I volunteered for six months and they said that once a job opened that I would have the opportunity to interview for the position, but a job never opened and I got transferred to another county job.” Ann replied.

“That’s horrible, Ann. What are you going to do?” Mary asked in despair.

“I don’t know Mary. I can’t do this anymore.” Ann broke down, crying on Mary’s shoulder with tears streaming down her face.

This situation is all too true. When you break down the figures of 30 hours per week for 4 weeks and divide it into $600 per month…it comes to $5 per hour. That isn’t even minimum wage.

Employers…especially the county and city jobs are taking advantage of these broken women. How sad for them. It seems like a form a modern-day slavery to me.

Please hit like if you would like to see a change in this work to welfare program.

Written By: Ask Ms Mandi

Breaking into the Writer’s World

25 Tuesday Jun 2013

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Breaking into the Writer’s World:

Breaking into the writer’s world is not as simple as it sounds.  You have written your manuscript and now you need an agent.  You may think that the hard part is over, but it is only just beginning.  Now you need to find an agent and it is not as simple as it may seem.

Children can be so wise, but yet so naïve.  Anything is possible when you are a child.  You have the world in your hands.  It’s not just about youth but it’s also about attitude.  Today, I was helping-out in a fifth grade classroom, when a ten-year old boy approached me.  The teacher had announced to the class that I was a writer.  This ten-year old boy came up to me and asked me how many books I have written.  I told him two.  He was impressed.  He then blurted out that he would buy my book.  Just like that. 

A child’s mind still believes that anything is possible.  As we grow up into adulthood, that innocence slowly disappears with time.  You write a book and you will get it published.  You want to be a doctor and you will be a doctor.  It is magical. 

Breaking into the writer’s world, finding an agent, and struggling to pay the bills, are all a journey of life.  Believing in ourselves is magical.  Do not accept rejection when you send out a query to an agent.  Keep your head up and keep trying.  A New York agent told me once and I quote:  “You will succeed in getting your work published as long as you keep trying, but if you give up then you will miss out on the next opportunity and that opportunity may be an agent that is interested in your manuscript.”

Any comments or thoughts?

Written By:  Ask Ms Mandi

Being Patient as a Writer

19 Wednesday Jun 2013

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Being Patient as a Writer

I think writers are one of the most patient professions. We sit and think most of the time, before we actually find the inspiration to start writing. I heard a funny story once, “Honey why are you staring out the window? I’m not….I’m writing.”

Most of the time, our greatest creations are created while staring out the window. I wrote my last manuscript, in my head, while in the shower.

Writers must be patient, spending a lot of time thinking about their stories before transforming the words down onto paper.

Keep writing!
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Written By: Ask Ms Mandi

New: Plan Your Next Ask Ms Mandi Party

18 Tuesday Jun 2013

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Plan Your Next Ask Ms Mandi Party:

I am an entrepreneur, starting up Ask Ms Mandi in October 2011. I currently organize party events in homes, providing homemade cheesecakes, local winery wines, and a time to meet new people and spend time with old friends. Parties are by appointment only.

Contact Ask Ms Mandi if you would like to be the hostess at your own Ask Ms Mandi party. I will provide the cheesecake and the wine. All you have to do is invite your friends to your house and I will take care of everything else.

Be prepared to entertain your friends with the finest wines in Riverside County, while nibbling on rich and luscious, homemade cheesecake. All in the environment of your home.

To plan your Ask Ms Mandi Party, please contact me at AskMsMandi.com or you may e-mail me your personalized calendar (look for the page under Ask Ms Mandi Party tap) to: msmandi4u@gmail.com

*Ask Ms Mandi’s location is in Southern California and unfortunately at this time, can only service parties in Southern California locations.
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Written By: Ask Ms Mandi

Why are our Children Cutting?

11 Tuesday Jun 2013

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Why are our Children Cutting?

Any mother’s worst nightmare is founding out that your child is cutting themselves. I say child and not teenager. Cutting is not just a teenage problem, but younger and younger children are starting the craze. How young? I know ten-year old girls that have been cutting themselves.

Parents….we must be aware that this may be happening in your home and with your own children. No child is protected from this horrible situation. It happens to children from poor family environments to affluent families with the mother and father still in the home. The epidemic does not discriminate. It has no prejudice. It is happening more and more each day.

Ten years old is about 5th grade – 6th grade aged peers. Seriously? What does a 10-year-old have to stress about? But they do. It is sad, but real. Peer pressure plays a heavy part in it. Other factors may apply; such as a sense of isolation, pressures to be perfect, and depression.

Parents….read and look at your children’s text messages, e-mails, SnapChats, InstaGram, Kik, ect. Don’t think that your child does not fall into this category of “cutting”. It is happening and in our media. Children have too many resources to connect with people who they think “care” and are there to listen to their insecurities and fears. When you are 10 years old or 11 years old, you trust people who seem to care. But in reality , who are these people that our children our connecting with and talking to about their utmost secrets and insecurities? They pretend to be their friends, their peers, their same age groups, but really? Who really knows who is sitting behind that text message or computer typing words of endearments and concern….it may be the pedophile on the Amber Alert.

It is wrong to say the least, but we as parents, can not pretend it doesn’t exist…it does exist and we must put a stop to it. Parents…if you find that your child is using their phones, computers, and iPods inappropriately…take them away. We lived without this technology and they can live without it too. It isn’t worth the price of losing our children to this epidemic of cutting to “technology”.

Here is a great website that I found. It is simple and to the point on this horrific subject matter, called cutting.
http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/mental_health/cutting.html#
The Nemours Foundation (copyright 1995-2013)
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Written By: Ask Ms Mandi

Why do Writers Write?

07 Friday Jun 2013

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Why do writers write?

We write to express ourselves.
We write to tell our personal stories.
We write because we are bored.
We write to teach others.
We write to help others.
We write because we want to be the next Stephanie Meyers.
We write because we don’t know what else to do.
We write because we are writers and that’s what writers do.
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Written By: Ask Ms Mandi

Happy Memorial Day

28 Tuesday May 2013

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Happy Memorial Day! Memorial Day marks the official beginning of summer. Summer time in the sun; laying out by the pool, swimming at the beach, BBQ’s, and long, warm evenings. It is a time of relaxation and a chance for new memories to be created. Children are out to play and graduation for Seniors is just around the corner.

Congratulations to all the Seniors of 2013, wishing you much prosperity for your future endeavors.
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Written By: Ask Ms Mandi

What is Spice?

27 Monday May 2013

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What is Spice? I have heard some talk about this new “synthetic marijuana”. Let me first say, I am completely anti-marijuana and anti any drug. I have known close friends that have fallen into terrible addictions caused by marijuana and other harder types of drugs. So, when I heard about this drug called Spice, I decided to do some research.

First off, it is basically just potpourri or incense. Who in their right minds smokes potpourri or incense? Second, it has not been tested by FDA or other drug administrators for consumption and therefore, it may be and probably is very harmful.

The website goes on to state some side-effects to this drug; such as, heart failure, anxiety, hallucinations, and vomiting. http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/spice-synthetic-marijuana

The debating side states that it is okay to smoke because it isn’t “Illegal”. Well, white out, gasoline, glue, and nitrous oxide (the air in whip cream (propellant) are legal substances, but that doesn’t mean that they are safe to consume or inhale.

Let’s get smart about what we are putting into our bodies. Think before you consume…if it doesn’t sound good for you…then it probably isn’t. Getting high isn’t worth dying.

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Written By: Ask Ms Mandi

Is the Innocence Lost?

20 Monday May 2013

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Is the Innocence Lost? I taught a class of first graders today. I don’t know if it is my imagination, but first graders today seem less innocent and sweet than they were five years ago. I remember the wonderful sight of watching my child at the age of six and seven, finding wonder in everything she came across. The simple act of reading a book, brought joy into her young eyes.

However, today, there seems to be something missing from those innocent eyes, that innocent voice, with our children today. They no longer seem so carefree, as I once remember them to be. It appears to be that our children are growing up faster and faster.

Please parents, teach our young ones to slow down and to enjoy life. Let them endeavor into playing in the trees, with dolls, and just being a kid. You only get one chance to be young and carefree, let them have it and have fun. By allowing them the freedom to be a kid, they will value the life given to them and can grow into healthy and happy adults….teaching their own children the same lesson, some day.

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Written By: Ask Ms Mandi