According to the Search Engine Optimizer (SEO) rules and regulations for writers hoping to further excel their Internet popularity, the keywords used in blog titles should have two or more words in it that readers are most likely going to search for, such as, "Writing Tips," or, "How To Become The Next J.K. Rowling." So how many of my readers would ever think to search, "Chroma?" None, right? Well, very few know of my future career goals, which is why I have chosen to reveal them here in this blog. My future career goals did not stop with wanting to be a princess, clown, veterinarian, artist, or even an author. No, in today's economy, I knew that trying to base a career off of something so hit-or-miss would be dangerous and costly. This is just another reason why I added the master in Business Administration, to ensure that I would be able to maintain a job that would continue to benefit me and my future family. So, why Chroma?
Exactly a year ago, I decided to return to college. After getting kicked out of Biola University (perhaps a story for another blog, yes?), I took a year off of school, thinking that I wouldn't need a degree in order to kick off as an incredible author. Sadly, another mistake God made in creating me was burdening me with Diabetes, a costly disease that I cannot afford to pay for without help from my father's military insurance. Naturally, the only way to stay on their insurance until I am 26, was by returning to school. Thus began my academic journey through Southern New Hampshire University, an online university that has surprisingly taught me more than any other academic resource. As the first born, I have always been a strong willed, hard headed, leader. I love taking charge, and boy, do my siblings know it! My dream of owning my own literary agency began in May of 2012 and has been growing ever since. People find it a funny combination: someone who loves to write, hates to read, and cannot spell. Despite the fact that I am wary about touching already published books, I have found much joy in editing writers' stories on Mibba, where I write. I love giving tips, comments, and constructive criticism. For every two critiques I give a struggling writer, I make sure to include one compliment. My goal is not to harshly break apart a writer's baby, but instead give them advice on how to embody their good qualities and work on improving their lesser ones.
Following my business career, I took a Financial Accounting course where the final project was to write a business proposal, complete with an operation analysis, competition analysis, and first year pro forma financial statements. My proposal ended up being 11 pages long and scored a 150/150. I will not post the entire proposal here, however, I will give you a brief underlay of why I chose Chroma for not only my business enterprise, but also for the title of this blog. When researching chromatic colors, I came across a phrase in an online dictionary that stated, "A color's value is its brightness, its chroma is its strength, and its hue is its position in the spectrum." I immediately took a liking to the word chroma and its purpose in defining the position of a color that I thought it to be a perfect name for my business. Chroma is the strength of saturation, which is the state that occurs when nothing more can be absorbed or added. Chroma: A Literary Agency will be a service enterprise that will not only act as the mediators between writers and publishers, but also offer extended programs for writing development processes and character development. Most publishing companies overlook new authors who submit works with poor grammar and spelling, and improperly developed characters and plots. My goal with this business is to take a step above the average literary agency by building relationships with our authors and helping them to understand how to truly write. Not only will the people at Chroma personally sit down with each author to get to know them and their work, we will also pick apart and redevelop their story so that publishers will be fighting to sign them. Our job as a literary agency would be to act as a gateway between authors and publishing agencies, deal with contract negotiations, ensure payment of royalties, and act as a mediator if there are any problems between the author and the publisher. Many lucrative companies will ignore non-agented authors and by representing authors with skills we helped to create, I hope that the best of the best will finally have their voice heard.
Although my intentions with Chroma are still in their very early forms, I feel that this is a company with much potential, which is why I felt it necessary to pursue a master in Business Administration, especially as a woman. Ever since discovering the term chroma, I have felt a connection with it, which is why I have chosen it for my blog title. It may not be a popularly searched word, but the history that I share with it is all that matters to me. Chroma is a sign of strength, and I find myself to be a strong woman with strong writing skills.
I've never been a fan of writing about myself. When I'm told to list some of my accomplishments, it feels as though I'm bragging. When I'm told to write about my history and future goals, it feels as though I'm being a vain woman. I feel like writing about yourself is what you do when you have nothing else to write about. It is much easier to answer questions about yourself than it is to just blurt out random facts; because when you are answering questions, you are revealing things about yourself that others are actually interested in knowing. Nevertheless, here's a bit of my background:
I was born on July 2, 1991, around 10pm to Jodi Lynn and Joseph Patrick Diminick. My parents should have known since my birth that I would be a child prone to ruining their plans, as my mother went into labor just minutes before attending a military lunch for my father and other important officers. I suppose I can't blame her then when her first words to my father after giving birth to me were, "I want a cheeseburger." I was born that night into a military family. It was the first mistake God made involving my life that would lead to a great sense of instability. Now, at 21, I can say that I have moved 16 times in those 21 years. I have attended several schools growing up, including public, private, home school, and co'ops. I've also attended three universities: Syracuse University, Biola University, and Southern New Hampshire University. I normally get antsy after a year or two of living in the same place and even take to rearranging rooms in my apartment just to feel as though I am someplace new.
Being the first born, I am naturally a hard headed being. I like getting my way, which might also come from being a female. Growing up, I was a very quiet individual. That came from constantly moving and never being able to make life-long lasting friendships. Although my Facebook is nearing 1,000 friends, I cannot say that they are all people I am closely connected with. The greatest sadness I face when realizing how a military lifestyle has ruined my upbringing, is when I think about my wedding day and how I will have no one to stand beside me as my bride's maids. There will be no bachelorette party and there will be no late nights out with the girls. Very few people nowadays will pay the couple hundreds of dollars to fly across the country to attend the wedding of someone that they only knew for a year or two.
I suppose that is why I took to writing. Like any other little girl, I wanted to be a princess growing up. Then, after attending a rodeo, I wanted to be a clown. A few short months and a clown suit later (complete with a rainbow wig, giant shoes, and a red nose!), I wanted to be a veterinarian. That quickly changed after watching a live neutering. I then wanted to be an artist, and by age 16 I had settled on being a novelist. When I was 5, I had written a short story on fifteen index cards about an orange fish who got lost from its family. Sound familiar? Yeah, I'm pretty sure I should have minor rights to Finding Nemo somewhere... I took a year of general education courses at Syracuse University, and took two years at Biola University where I studied Film, Biblical Studies, and Sociology. After taking a year off of school, I returned in the Spring of 2012 to Southern New Hampshire University where I am currently pursuing my minor in Sociology, major in Creative Writing/English, and my master in Business Administration. Taking after my dad with loving education, I have considered adding a doctorate in Philosophy to all of that.
The first novel I ever wrote took 9 months to create. It was 422 handwritten pages and was in the first person perspective of a 26-year-old male. I was 16 when I wrote it. I have since dated a man who was 27-years old, and I'm sure that if I went back to read that chicken scratch of a mess, I would be a bit shocked at how I portrayed a man 10 years my senior! Some people say that writing for them has been their escape. For me, it has taken the place of reading. I despise reading, and have yet to actually pick up a textbook for school seriously. A lot of people are stunned to hear of a writer who doesn't read, but alas, at least one exists. With not much out there that interests me, I prefer writing my own stuff, which has become quite popular on my Mibba account. My most popular stories on there is my end-of-the-world monster trilogy, which has been seen as a much darker (and better!) version of the Twilight saga. Anything that makes that trash disintegrate makes me happy. My current baby is my fallen angel novel, which is currently going through the editing process with Brittiany Koren from Written Dreams. Hopefully, we can get this novel out within the year! The first draft was done with I was 17, so now I am working on maturing my writing voice and piecing together a novel that is fluent in its tone and believable in its subject matter.
To finish off this little biography, I will add a cornucopia of facts! I have one sister, Alaina (19), and two brothers, Anthony (14) and Aaron (10). Just an interesting fact, I have a soft spot for the name "Aaron" and in every one of my novels and screenplays, there is a character named Aaron. I'm not sure why, but that name has always appealed to me. I was diagnosed at age 4 with Type 1 Diabetes. My health has never been under great control and although this life-long disease has yet to cause any severe problems in my body, the doctors believe that it is only a matter of years before tragedy will strike. Growing up, I played basketball, tennis, golf, dance, and gymnastics. Funny fact about high school sports, after getting kicked off of the tennis team for absolutely sucking, my friend Sara and I snuck into all the school sports pictures for the yearbook. We even made it into the sports picture for the local newspaper! Lastly, I am a hardcore female gamer. I love playing Black Ops II on my xbox 360. When not writing or working on school assignments, one can definitely find me plopped on the couch with a controller in my hands! SWYD!
