Confessions of A Bookmark Addict

I don't know why, but I love bookmarks! It's one of my favorite parts about reading:) Problem for me is, that like most small items, no matter how near and dear to my heart, I tend to lose things like that. Take for instance, today. I had recently finished one book and was excited to start another. I ended up giving the finished book to a friend and before I knew it, I realized I now had NO bookmark to place in my new read. (I am not and will never be a person who dog ears my books - no matter what!) Well, I have just found a wonderful solution to both the problem of losing bookmarks and my obsession with all things cute and small (this time being the bookmark).

Printable Bookmarks!!!

I don't know why I didn't think of it before. Well, I can only take credit for thinking of "Googling" it, because as you will clearly see, I did NOT create these bookmarks. I merely found the Web site that allowed me to print them (for FREE!).

Ah, the little things in life....what's that saying? The best things in life are free? True that.

Another passion in life of mine, includes collecting quotes and these printable bookmarks combine all of that - my love of reading and notable quotes - all on a cutesy, little bookmark. Perfect.

For now, I will enjoy the plethora of bookmarks available out there on the Worldwide Web...but htis has given me a wonderful idea to create my own bookmarks to stick in my favorite novels. Like a great handbag, I often picture in my mind what I want my bookmark to look like and I never find it out there exactly in that way. Like, I found a site that said, "Category: Angels" but the bookmarks were either too cutesy (if there is such a thing) or I really wasn't swayed one way or another by the saying that accompanied it. Well, here is my golden opportunity to create something, simple, fun and free. After all, no bookmark is alike.

Here are a few I printed from a random Web site I found. Please feel free to use them, print them, share them. And please, if you make your own book mark, send me a picture! I'd love to see what creative ideas others' come up with too.

The Years of Playing and Writing Famously

"Dreams do come true if you keep believing in yourself. Anything is possible."

These were the words of my favorite tennis star as a child, Jennifer Capriati. Although most everyone knows of the unfortunate circumstances that forced her to quit the sport of tennis that she was so passionate about, it does not take away from the amazing precedent Jennifer set as the youngest woman (well, girl, really) to turn pro at age 14. She was highlighted as the most charismatic draw for the U.S. women's tennis circuit since Chrissy Evert. When she "burnt out" in 1993, or whatever the naysayers chose to say had happened to her, she had made more money and won more titles than most women on the professional tour ever hoped to claim in their entire careers.

In 1996, once again overcoming the hurtful and doubtful cries of the media and public eye, Jennifer Capriati returned to tennis a transformed woman. She had more determination, spirit, maturity and drive than anyone had ever fathomed. She went on the reclaim her good reputation and title, moving all the way up to the Number One ranking in the professional Women's Tennis Association (WTA). She played her heart out until 2004, when she finally acquired an injury too severe to be able to continue her domination on court. This is the Jennifer Capriati I choose to remember. She showed teenage girls, women and men all over the world that going after your dreams and believing in yourself when nobody else is even willing to give you a chance, is worth all the times of hardship that you may encounter along the way.

I am constantly reminding others not to get discouraged when things don't work out the exact way they hoped at the exact time they hoped. Life just doesn't work out like that. Sometimes I need to take my own advice so I thought I would blog it here as a reminder to myself whenever I need to look at it.

This topic was brought to my attention the other day when I came across two inspiring Tweets. I found it interesting how they both brought hope to aspiring writers, like me and you, in their own unique fashion.

The first one was a retweet (RT) of an article posted on a fun(ny) web site, http://www.neatorama.com/. Check it out for all the weird and bizarre news and information you could ever want to (or not) know. Aptly titled, "If At First You Don't Succeed: Very Famous Book Rejections", the article listed a few notable novels and their authors who were met with their own resistance when they were first rejected by equally famous publishing houses before becoming a staple in our culture.

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  Highlights magazine articles by Judy Blume
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  Chicken Soup for the Soul by various editors
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  Lord of the Flies by William Golding
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  Animal Farm by George ORwell
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  Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling
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  70 Poems by e.e. Cummings
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  Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
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  On the Road by Jack Kerouac
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  Clifford the Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell

Click here for the full article: http://www.neatorama.com/2010/04/28/if-at-first-you-don%e2%80%99t-succeed-very-famous-book-rejections/

 

The second tweet came from an established, published and very marketable author who shared her own astonishment at the feat of a young woman of only 15 years (!!!), Gabriella Skory who has recently written, published and self-promoted her first novel, The Pages of Red Diamond, all on her own. What an accomplishment to have taken such initiative at such a young age and succeeded. Check out her web page for an excerpt of her book, ordering info and all the deets on her life: http://thepagesofreddiamond.tumblr.com/.

I know it gives me hope and promise that this little hobby of mine I enjoy, called creative writing, will actually pay off (not even necessarily monetarily, though that would, of course, be nice:)) if I put in the time and effort. It will only become something if I make it something. I'm not magically going to be discovered at my local coffee shop typing away on my laptop by St. Martin's Press or Penguin. "Oh, my, I see you typing away over there with your Loca Mocha. Could that be a national bestseller you're working on? Sign here to work under us!" Yeah, I don't think so. But I do think that my writing can be practiced, crafted and critiqued over time and maybe, just maybe, one day I will have see my own name on a pretty pastel, candy-covered book.

On the topic of Success (and the hard path we walk to get there), here are some inspirational quotes, some more fun or funny than others:

Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm. ~Winston Churchill

Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic. ~ Unknown

Don't aim for success if you want it; just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally. ~ David Frost

Some people dream of success... while others wake up and work hard at it. ~ Unknown

In order to succeed you must fail, so that you know what not to do the next time. ~ Anthony J. D'Angelo, The College Blue Book

Success is blocked by concentrating on it and planning for it.... Success is shy - it won't come out while you're watching. ~ Tennessee Williams

The two hardest things to handle in life are failure and success. ~ Unknown

It is wise to keep in mind that no success or failure is necessarily final. ~ Unknown

Success and failure. We think of them as opposites, but they're really not. They're companions - the hero and the sidekick. ~ Laurence Shames

The man who has done his level best, and who is conscious that he has done his best, is a success, even though the world may write him down as a failure. ~ B.C. Forbes

When I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bicycle. Then I realized that the Lord doesn't work that way so I stole one and asked Him to forgive me. ~ Emo Phillips

If at first you do succeed - try to hide your astonishment. ~ Unknown