Dallas Woodburn's Blog, page 26

Anna Quindlen and Book Love

Years ago, Anna Quindlen wrote a small book entitled How Reading Changed My Life. I just came across this gem of a book for the first time, and I feel I have found in my own personal manifesto in Quindlen's beautiful homage to books and reading.

Quindlen writes: "Those of us who comprise the real clan of the book [are those:] who read not to judge the reading of others but to take the measure of ourselves. Who read because we love it more than anything, who feel about bookstores the way some pe...

Markets for Young Writers

* Wet Ink Magazine
Open and happy to accept all genres of literature, visual art and multimedia from youth aged 13 to 19 residing in Canada. At present, they only accept submissions electronically; they do not want to take responsibility for your original artwork. Please send reproductions only; if your work is three dimensional, a good photograph will be fine.
Please include with your submission a cover letter with your name, age, city or town of residence and e-mail address so that editors...

Settling in at Purdue! My Tips for Embracing Changes in Your Life

Sorry I've been a bit MIA on this blog the past week. I moved cross-country from my beachside California hometown of Ventura to Lafayette, Indiana -- my new home for the next three years while I pursue my M.F.A. in Fiction Writing at Purdue.

I live in a one-bedroom apartment in an old Victorian house on a beautiful tree-lined street about ten minutes from campus. (There's even a trolley I can catch a few blocks away that runs to campus and back -- how cute is that? A trolley!) I had a fun time...

Elizabeth Gilbert on Creativity & Success

Elizabeth Gilbert, author of the international best-seller Eat, Pray, Love, speaks about how her writing life has changed since her phenomenally popular memoir rocked the book world. She is funny, insightful, refreshingly honest, and her advice speaks to all writers, artists, and creative spirits, whether your audience is one million readers, or just yourself. 



Visit Elizabeth Gilbert's website at http://www.elizabethgilbert.com/
Read more of her wonderful thoughts on writing at

Interview with Ben Mueller: writer, teacher, runner, and triathlete

I came across Ben Mueller's story in Chicken Soup for the Runner's Soul and it was one of my favorites in the entire collection. Ben says he loves to write inspirational nonfiction stories about his past experiences with sports. He teaches math at the high school and college level and has been involved in running and triathlons since he was nine years old. Today, he has completed more than 400 races from the 2-mile to the marathon. He has a goal of running a half-marathon in every state and s...

Guest on Radio Dõv: The Accidental Guru

I'm delighted to share that I'm going to be a guest on Dõv Baron's radio show The Accidental Guru on Friday, August 6th at 11:00am Pacific time. Dõv takes callers, so feel free to call in with questions! I would absolutely love to hear from you.
Listen in live and learn more here: http://radiodov.com/shows/2010/08/01/dallas-woodburn-on-radio-dov-%E2%80%93-august-6th/
Dõv Baron is a best-selling author and motivational speaker. His radio show The Accidental Guru is dedicated to giving people...

Interview with Deborah Dachinger, founder & host of "Dare to Dream" radio

Deborah Dachinger has been in the entertainment field since she was a child. After graduating from USC's performing arts school, she went on to act and sing in New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and at the Edinburgh Theatre Festival. Deborah received acting nominations for Los Angeles Drama Desk Award and was in the "Follies" cast that won the Fringe First Award. Deborah was also a successful motivational speaker who led workshops on achieving "Balance and Life Goals." Her professional voice...

Interview with "The Sunny Girl," Lauren Cook, Founder of The Sunny Side Up!

Lauren Cook -- or "The Sunny Girl," as she goes by these days -- is the founder of The Sunny Side Up, a project seeking to inspire and share happiness with others. She is currently a student at UCLA where she is majoring in Psychology and Communications, and she enjoys participating in her sorority, Chi Omega, along with Colleges Against Cancer, Campus Crusade, and Toastmasters. Lauren is a former Miss Teen California and she has proudly raised more than $30,000 for the American Cancer...

"Frugal & Focused Tweeting For Retailers": A Great Book For Authors, Too!

Before Carolyn Howard-Johnson became an acclaimed author, she spent nearly three decades in the retail industry, as founder and manager of her own chain of stores, a retail consultant and a New York publicist. The latest book in her "Survive and Thrive" series is Frugal & Focused Tweeting for Retailers, and it is a great read for not just people in the retail industry, but for those in the publishing industry as well. After all, being a writer is in many ways similar to running your very own ...

Interview with Gina Holmes, author of "Crossing Oceans"

Today I am thrilled to have Gina Holmes as a guest to talk about her debut novel Crossing Oceans. In 1998, Gina began her career penning articles and short stories. In 2005 she founded the influential literary blog, Novel Journey. She holds degrees in science and nursing and currently resides with her husband and children in Southern Virginia. Her debut novel, Crossing Oceans released April/May 2010 with Tyndale House Publishers. To learn more about her, visit: www.ginaholmes.com or