Getting published

Getting that first book published can be a painful, ego-destroying, soul-crushing experience.

You've worked hard on getting that final manuscript written, painstakingly going over every word to make sure it's right, the words you want to say. You're feeling pretty good about life.

However, getting an agent and then a publishing house to take your words and actually publish them, now that's the hard part.

This is something I've been working on for about a year or so now, with the actual writing of the novel taking the better of five years. I've yet to be published, unless you count all of the work I've done as a news reporter for 12-plus years.

Anyway, here's a look at the entire idea for a novel to published course, courtesy of fellow writer J.R. Woodward.

Remembering Barbara Mack

Source: Iowa State Daily

I don't often write much in the way of personal stuff on this site, but I found out a little bit ago that one of my favorite professors from my time in college at Iowa State University, Barbara Mack, died this morning at home. She was 59.

Needless to say, it was a huge shock. Not just because of the suddenness of her passing, but also because of her larger than life personality. During my years at Iowa State (1994-1998), she was the instructor for two of my classes, JLMC 101 (Mass Media and Society) during my first semester of college and Law of Mass Communication in the spring semester of my sophomore year.

It didn't matter which class she was teaching - she was tough in all of them, but extremely fair. I remember squeaking out a decent grade in JLMC 101 as I adjusted to college, and how she regularly scared students who fell asleep during her class. She somehow managed to find these sleeping beauties despite the class having around 400 students in the cavernous Curtiss Hall auditorium.

The other major memory of Dr. Mack came during the media law class.

A blizzard had hit central Iowa on this particular day in January 1996, and basically every school in the state and region had shut down for the safety of their students and staff. Every school, save for Iowa State University. Then-President Martin Jischke had decided to have classes that morning despite the weather conditions.

To make it to the class at Agronomy Hall, Dr. Mack had to brave the iced-over Interstate 35 from her home in Des Moines with little to no visibility. This obviously left a bad taste in her mouth, and she spent the next 30 minutes basically ripping Jischke, from whom she had worked for three years during the early 1990s. It was beautiful, and made braving the horrible weather almost worth it.

That said, Barbara Mack was a wonderful professor who made you work to earn what you received, and for that, I thank her and will remember her.

The Rescue Run

A current project I am involved is helping to promote The Rescue Run, a fundraiser 5K run/walk that benefits Rapha House, a Christian organization that works to help girls and women escape from the sex trafficking trade in southeast Asia, the United States and soon, Haiti. Organized by a University of Iowa student, the fundraiser is scheduled for Oct. 13, in Iowa City.

A major part of my involvement in The Rescue Run has been in the overseeing much of the publicity efforts. That includes writing a press release to send to media in Eastern Iowa, and doing much of the creation for a website promoting the event.

Video archive: Discussing poverty in Iowa City Schools

In April 2008, I shot this video interview of then-Superintendent Lane Plugge of the Iowa City Community School District as he discussed poverty in the schools and what the school district was doing to help students affected by it.

Video archive: Flooding at the Coralville Reservoir

One of the skills I have developed over the years has been my video shooting and editing. This is a video I produced for the Iowa City Press-Citizen in June 2008, showing the flooding of the Coralville Reservoir.

Check out my photography work!

I recently completed a portfolio of the photos I have taken over the years for various media outlets. Check it out here.

For Patch.com

Marion Patch: Romney: 'You're going to see more of me"

Source: Patch.com

My coverage of former Massachusetts governor and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's stop in Cedar Rapids earlier today.