Do you ever feel like you have so many topics you want to cover, you’re bursting? The problem is none of these topics are related?

1). Why are kids in my neighborhood, (southern California) scared of saying “hello” to me? Do I look like a scary monster?

After being greeted with warm smiles and love in the eyes of Mayan children in Belize, it always shocks me how young kids in my neighborhood ride their bikes on the sidewalk and refuse to make eye contact. Have we brainwashed our kids to believe that they must NEVER MAKE EYE CONTACT? NEVER SAY HELLO TO A STRANGER, EVEN A MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN? NEVER EVEN LOOK IN THEIR DIRECTION? If so, our society is dying. I can’t believe how parents in my neighborhood, one of the ten safest cities in the U.S. have made their kids so AFRAID of human contact, that they cannot even say “Morning,” to a middle-aged woman like me, and yet the Mayan kids came running up with amazing smiles to a bunch of women.

2). Why do couples end up color coordinated?

Often, my husband and I will end up wearing the same color shirt, without even seeing what the other person put on. Does this happen to you?

3). Have you ever thought about how you and your spouse will end up in your 80’s? I want to be like the straw hat elderly couple walking in my neighborhood when I grow up.

Nearly every morning as I head to the gym, I see an elderly couple holding hands, wearing the same color jacket and straw hat. Even though the sun is asleep, they still wear their golden straw hats. I saw their faces for the first time last week and thought, “That’s what I’m looking forward to being at their age: happy, smiley, full of energy and kindness.”

4). What chemicals are pumped into my Thanksgiving turkey that I’m not aware of?

“Americans remain largely oblivious to the intrusions of the pharmaceutical industry into our kitchens. Across the pond, however, the Europeans are wising up.”

5). We have to HURRY and get our revisions done before Oprah quits her show on September 9th, 2011? What a shock, but then again, Oprah needs to enjoy her life. Who can blame her?

I know they are totally unrelated, but I can’t help it. Topics pop into my mind constantly.Please comment on whatever.

“I had tried and tried to get them to see me. If I wasn’t an accident, if my mother was telling me the truth, wasn’t this worse? If I wasn’t an accident, mustn’t I be a crushing disappointment? My father couldn’t bear to be with me. It was as if to do so, caused him more physical pain than all his ailments combined and my mother lived in exile within her own mind, devoted only to the past.”

After hearing Augusten Burroughs read this paragraph from his book, A Wolf at the Table, my thoughts turned to how we all carry baggage with us into adulthood based on how we were raised.

Some of us, myself included, were fortunate to receive unconditional love at home. Others were not that fortunate during their childhood.

In his book, Augusten Burroughs put me in the skin of a small boy longing for unconditional love from a parent. He is so brutally honest as he talks about the “unspeakably terrifying relationship between father and son.”

This lead me to do a search on how parenting affects children. I found a simple graphic on Dr. Phil’s website which I copied below.

He has a quiz which allows you to identify your parenting style. I did one section for fun, and actually scored higher than the highest score mentioned for that section. You might be wondering which one? A description of each style of parenting is also given at the bottom of the quiz. Most of us probably fit into several categories, although when I look at my three sons, I can quite clearly pin-point which category they fit in.

My blogger friend Jennifer Fink, focuses on raising boys. I always find useful information on her site.

How about you? Anything you want to share about your childhood, your style of parenting, or parenting in general?

After three days of intense workshops, lectures, practicing the pitch and several read and critiques with agents, editors and PR pros, I noticed how all workshop leaders kept asking the same three important questions: “Why is your book unique? “Why would anyone want to read it?” and “Who is your target audience?” These may sound like straightforward questions, but so many writers struggle with concise answers.

Throw in a dynamite pitch and a 25 word synopsis which you can WOW agents and editors with, and if you already have that,you’re ahead of the game. Please share your pitch and/or synopsis in the comments section of my blog, if you have one you’d like to share.

One speaker said, “if you’re having trouble writing a synopsis, you can always ask friends what do you think my book is about? and don’t argue with them.”

With 440,000 new books published in 2008, competition is very stiff, and you better know who you are–your platform– and why the public will read your book.

Antoinette Kuritz, the founder of the La Jolla Writers conference, offered great advice on effective PR. “Books have a shelf like somewhere between yogurt and milk,” which suggests the importance of starting your marketing plan and PR strategies about a year or so before your book comes out.

I think most writers would like to increase the shelf life of their book to ultra-pasteurized long-life milk.

Another tip they offered is to write articles on your topic and query magazines before your book is published. Include the article with your query, to save time waiting. I’m throwing in a mish-mash of tips, but I found this one interesting. If you’re going to be interviewed for radio, stand up with your phone and walk around as your voice will come across with more expression and enthusiasm than if you sit down.

Three New York Times Bestselling authors: Jane Green, Eileen Goudge and Lisa Gardner, were not only keynote speakers, but also offered private read and critique sessions to writers. I had a wonderful chat with Jane Green after her lecture. She is such a sweet, down-to-earth lady, and shared some photos on her iPhone that she took during her interview with Hugh Grant and Harrison Ford.

I had two agent read and critiques. Both of them said they liked my story, and one in particular mentioned she found my European upbringing and parenting methods, merged with life in Orange County, and moving to another culture in Belize, very interesting in the layers and sub-themes it offers. She gave me four months to submit the manuscript. Even if nothing comes from this “experiment,” I now have another goal which will force me to write a book proposal. This means a TON of work, especially around the holiday season.

Please share if you’ve written a book proposal. How painful was it? Apparently fiction writers are also encouraged to write a book proposal to develop a marketing and sales plan they can show publishers.

Let’s not forget that although writers see the creative element, publishers are only interested in sales.

Because I like to think that I’m “Gutsy” and I really want to believe that “All is Good,” and “It is what it is,” I’ve decided to tell you that this weekend, I shall be attending the La Jolla Writers Conference, and I’ve signed up for a read and critique with two literary agents and an editor. It’s about time I get some professional opinions, whether or not I have the guts to hear what they say. I’m excited and treating this as an experiment. Let’s not forget the conference is at the Paradise Pointe Resort, a luxury in itself.

I like to call important things in life, “experiments.” For example, when I met my husband, I responded to some personal ads in a newspaper. This was in 1986, before Internet dating, and I responded to five newspaper ads. Why? Because I knew what I was looking for in a man and I could tell from the ad, those who weren’t sincere. At first, I treated all of the ads as experiments. I met the guys, had lunch and interviewed them as potential spouses, therefore I was conducting a “dating my future spouse experiment. I analyzed the results–no I’m not that cold, but I did work for Gallup Polls in Paris during my 20’s preparing questionnaires–and decided that in order for a long term, lasting relationship, there had to be more than physical attraction. Intelligence and admiration were crucial in my final decision.

So what does this have to do with pitching agents and editors?
No idea, except that I shall treat this as an experiment.

I am excited, especially as I have a nice room at a resort on the beach, where the conference is taking place.

I’ve packed my gourmet Peet’s coffee, a few filters and my half and half (cream) so I’m all prepared to meet the agents on Saturday and Sunday. Okay, I do have a bottle of Chardonnay too. Why not enjoy the resort?

Please wish me luck in my experiment. Also please share how you treat important opportunities in your life.