Old News

I'm slightly disgusted with myself. 

It's a horrid truth knowing that in everything I've blogged about-unedited free verse and puppet symbolism-I've forgotten to write about a very important event. 

In October I found out that I won the Fresh Ink 2013 contest! 

It's only taken me three months to blog about it…and I have no excuse. 

As I said before, I'm slightly disgusted…and that is to say the least. 

I was announced the first place winner and awarded $100 in prize money, as well as published in the St. Catharines Library magazine. The magazine was by far the best part of the prize, as it meant that I was officially a published author. My life is a little bit closer to being complete. 

I had the pleasure of reading my story at the awards ceremony, as well as meeting some of the chair members of the library. 

As small as the contest was, it was really extraordinary for me to be able to share my writing with other people and to hear the praise and compliments I received over a single chapter. 

For those of you that haven't read the story, you can do so here, or by clicking the tab "Fresh Ink 2013" at the top of the page. 

I hope you enjoy the chapter, and once again, I apologize for my lack of commitment to my blog. I wish I had shared this with you earlier, but I guess old news is better than no news at all!

Writing...Revising...Rewriting

I'm very proud to say that I've finally, officially submitted my entry into the Fresh Ink 2013 contest!
It was a painful process that took a lot of editing...revising...rewriting and more editing, but with the help of my wonderful mother and friends, I was able to complete a short story that not only complies with the required word count, but  also has plot! 

For my entry this year, I decided to sway away from the short story I previously mentioned about Acamar the Turkey Vulture, and submit an older creation of mine that some of you may be familiar with. When I originally published Lilac Lane on my blog last year, it was full of typos and was in need of some serious reshaping. Today, completely reworked, it has been entered into Fresh Ink 2013 with my high hopes that someone will enjoy it. 
Due to contest rules and the possibility of plagiarism, I unfortunately can't post the entry right away, but I will soon. 
I hope that those of you who end up reading it find it interesting...and maybe even that it leaves you hungry for more!

All the best!
~a very happy girl

Fresh Ink 2013

     With July 31st fast approaching, I've been hard at work on my entry for this year's Fresh Ink writing contest. Remembering the last minute rush I went through to submit my entry last year, I've been determined to complete my short story in advance to give lots of room for editing and critiquing. 

    Although I have a few things up for entry consideration this year, the piece that I find myself focusing on is a short story that I wrote while planning to enter another local contest this past March. All writers were required to create an original piece that tied in with the theme "Raptorfest," an annual springtime event where various birds of prey migrate through the Niagara Region. Entrants had to write a short story or poem from the point of view of a bird of prey on how they see their environment, and I did exactly that. My bird of choice was an unusual one, but I picked the Turkey Vulture with the intention to hopefully spark some interest.


     Just shy of 1000 words, my story took place inside the typical day of a young Turkey Vulture named Acamar. I packed in as much information about the bird and its environment as I could while trying to keep it intriguing at the same time, but as you can imagine, that can be challenging to do with such a small restricted word count. Unfortunately, I didn't get the opportunity to submit my entry due to the fact that we went away for the Easter Weekend when the contest closed. However, I've been planning to submit it into Fresh Ink 2013 this month with some slight adjustments considering the fact that the word count for this contest is a minimum of 1000 words!

     Unless I have a miracle brainstorm within the next week or so, I'll be submitting Acamar the Turkey Vulture into Fresh Ink 2013 by the end of this month with climbing levels of anticipation and excitement! 

Canada's Immigration...An essay type of point

Forward: The following is an original essay based on Canada's points system for immigrating into the country. The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and should not be taken in any other way.  Sources used are listed in the hyperlink below.  

    
      One of the major complaints about the Canadian point system is that our country seems to pose a double standard for individuals wanting to immigrate. The reality that we have a growing demand for skilled trades workers may not be entirely surprising for people to hear, but the rough estimate is that by 2020 we will need 320,000 new workers to fill that type of position. With the majority of our young population not willing to work for hard earned careers, it's understandable that one of the last things people want to do is to educate themselves to become skilled trades workers. As a country, it then seems that our simplest option would be to allow immigrants into the country to fill those jobs for us. However, the people educated to fill these positions cannot enter the country since their level of education does not award them enough points.

     It may be unknown to the majority of our population that Canada requires immigrants to have at least 80 hard earned points to enter the country. Even if an immigrant posseses the maximum amount of possible points in the four other categories, with only a certificate in skilled trades they can find themselves four points short of entering Canada, unless they are fluent in French or have arranged employment approved by HRDC. This is because for 15 years of full time study, immigrants only earn 20 points, whereas if you have a master’s and 17 years of full time study, you are awarded 25 points, something that still, if you are not proficient in English, can keep you out of the country.  

     What then, do we as a country do, if our need for skilled trades is slowly becoming desperate? It seems that the simplest option would be to slightly adjust the education category so that each level of education past high school is worth five more points than it currently is. With this set in place, it would make it slightly easier for immigrants to enter, while still requiring them to be proficient in English and the other categories. By only raising the education value by five, the same immigrants that have the maximum amount of points and a fifteen year education could find themselves at 81 points, just enough to let them into the country. It may also make it slightly easier for other immigrants to enter and possibly persuade them to go to school for an extra year so that not only will they become five points closer to entering the country, but also be more educated in the field of work that they plan to pursue in Canada.

     

       Having said this, in conclusion, research shows that as of January 2^nd, 2013 Minister Jason Kenney of immigration and multiculturalism launched the federal Skilled Trades Program to ensure that greater consideration is given to the skilled trades industry when processing immigrant applications, moving us a step forward.

Sources

Battling Writer's Block...One Blessing at a Time...Both a Pearl and a Point

     It's another day that I'm sitting directly in front of my computer, staring emptily at a blank post page writing...or at least trying to. For the past week I've been in this situation, a new post started every day, Lord willing I'll finish and publish one of them! I'm a terrible liar, so I'll confess that I have eight, if not more, posts in my drafts box that are waiting for their moment to shine. Whether that time will ever come I have no idea, hopefully it will, but before it does I need to battle this writer's block that's got me at a red light in my creative intersection.

     I came to the conclusion that of the two ways I know how to defeat writer's block, it would be best to take action on one of them. Either A.) Take a break and come back to the post in a week. Or B.) Write something entirely new and simple. My obvious decision, since me and writing are inseparable, was B. I then found myself on the question of "What is the simplest thing to write?" The answer I was searching for was simple as I found it in everything around me.

     Please bear with me as I take a stab at writer's block and attempt to list all of the things I'm thankful for. As it is an endless list, I've tried to make it a relatively normal length for everyone's sake.

1.) Number one on my list is an obvious one, but the amount of thankfulness I have towards and for it can never be stretched enough. I am thankful for my family who, through everything that I say and do will never stop loving and supporting me. All of you make me laugh and smile on a daily basis and can always somehow perk me up when I'm feeling sad. There is never an end to the fun we have, and you also pay for things which saves me money, so I'm thankful for that too!

2.) Secondly I'm thankful for my friends, of which there are quite a few. I can't honestly say how happy I am to have you in my life. From making me laugh, to eating lunch with me at school, and encouraging me that my scissor splits aren't really as bad as I think they are. Even just making my overall miserable day lighter and worth waking up to. Thank you!

3.) I'm sure some people thought I might never say this one, but it's true. I'm thankful for my school in which every day is exciting and incredible. So much so, that I look forward to Mondays so that I can be back with all of the amazing people, learning something new. For teachers who inspire and encourage me, the people that are never elitist, and the SLD that is always there, I can't ever be thankful enough. I'm always learning, always laughing, always growing and always improving someway or another.

4.) I'm thankful for my dance school. The two of you teachers are incredible and inspirational to me. You make me want to pursue dance every time I find it difficult, help me every time I ask and always are willing to eat my cookies...even though there's a chance they might taste terrible.You stuff each class full of both an intense workout and smiles so that we're not afraid to try and risk falling on our faces...because it has happened. ;) 

5.)  For number five and my last one, I'd like to thank God. When I look at everything that precedes this, I realize that there is no way, no how that any of this could have even been possible without you behind me to keep pushing me forward when I feel like I'm ready to quit. Out of difficult situations you have shown me solutions. Out of first time meetings you have created beautiful friendships. Out of a love for movement you have given me the freedom to express myself and so much more! You have backed me up and given me everything I need and more to survive. Without you, none of this would have been existent, so I believe that the least I can do is acknowledge that. Thank you. For everything you've done and will do, there is no end to my gratefulness.

Thanksgiving Dinner

 Thanksgiving Dinner

Thanksgiving dinner, 

It's the dinner that's the winner,

Before the meal you're thinner, 

And after, you feel fat. 

When the turkey's stuffed,

And the pastries puffed, You never eat enough, 

But after, you feel fat.

Veggies pass you by,

Mashed potatoes to the sky, 

Why once a year, just why? 

Later, you'll feel fat.

There's some gravy on your shirt, 

And your stomach starts to hurt,

Oh look here comes dessert, 

Now...you're fat.

~Laurel Farrell

2012

Fresh Ink...A Pearl

     Recently, in the local paper, we read about a contest being held by the St. Catharines Library called Fresh Ink. This year would be the twelfth annual writing contest for students aged twelve through eighteen living in the Niagara Region. All you had to do was write a short story or poem. My Mom suggested I enter and I gladly agreed, but I had one problem. I can't write short stories. Everything I've ever written since I was little, has been long and well...detailed. I had ideas coming out my eyeballs for this contest, but with a limit of 1,500 words I was feeling it would be impossible.

     Maybe you've read my previous entry, Lilac Lane. Mom suggested I enter that because she loved it. After this was decided, I payed little attention to writing at all until I figured I should probably check the word count on it. I discovered it was 1,630 words. Mom assured me we could edit it so that it would be shorter, but then something happened; we got busy. Suddenly I was being called out to movie sets and we had a few appointments and get togethers and the next thing I knew it was July 31st. We were in Burlington, early in the morning, when it hit me. I put my hand to my head. The deadline was today and my work was at home. Needless to say I was disappointed and mad at myself.

     On the way to my grandparents, where we would spend the morning, I was explaining to my Mom how Dad had woken me up that morning. She was laughing hysterically. Then I had the idea. I would use Grandma's computer to write my entry and I would write about my experience from that morning. Sure enough, at Grandma's I went to her computer and I think maybe an hour later, I had completed my entry for the contest. I printed it out, and as a team, Mom and I edited it and read it aloud to my grandparents. The next thing knew, I had clicked the submit button. This was the first contest I've ever entered for my writing and the excitement I felt...that I still feel, is incomparable!

To read my entry, click the link at the top of the page titled Fresh Ink 2012. Thoughts are welcome!