Valerie Ormond - Believing In Horses
Writing, life lessons, horses, and more
It’s been three years since a Navy friend asked me if I was interested in applying for the Veteran Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship (V-WISE) program. At the time I thought:
“Entrepreneur? Doesn’t that mean someone who wants to get rich?”
Today’s guest post is brought to you by Lucy Adams of BuzzEssay.com.What comes to your mind when you hear the word “writer?” Many of us are used to thinking of a strange hermit with randomly scattered sheets of paper bent over a table selflessly working on the next great novel.
But “writer” and “writing” have different meanings. To write means to express thoughts on paper, and that makes almost all of us writers – even if we do not have the gift of writing. [Read more…]
By Valerie Ormond
J.B. Max Publishing, 2014
ISBN 978-0-9736330-4-7
Fiction, 246 pages
Soft Cover, Kindle
Reviewed by Margaret Evans
“Sadie felt so isolated. She couldn’t share or communicate her worry with her family. And living in a community with no other military people, no one else would understand. So she lived a life of constant secret fear which grew every day. She needed a distraction.” [Read more…]
I recently had the opportunity to work with the Brave HEART program on several writing projects. Brave HEART (Heroes Equine Adventure & Riding Therapy) “provides an environment where Veterans, military members, and their families come together to facilitate healing and strengthen relationships through equine interaction and outdoor activities.” A 501(c)(3) charitable organization, the Brave HEART program supports those who have served, or still serve, at the peaceful Larkspur Lane Farm setting in Hagerstown, Maryland.
While speaking with the founder and Executive Director, Laura Lane-Unsworth, we determined one of the Brave HEART projects would be a tri-fold brochure to help inform people about Brave HEART’s work. Laura was most helpful in getting me the top five points to get across, testimonials, and a general feel for the tone of the brochure. I put together the words and then enlisted the help of my talented graphic designer friend, Brittany Klein of Radiant Resolution, LLC, to display the information in a far more pleasing manner than I could. I am not a graphic designer – at all – and know the value good graphic designers bring to any visual project. [Read more…]
I spoke at the Military Writers Society of America conference on “The Business of Writing” last year. Since starting my own business in 2014, I’ve talked to many people interested in starting their own writing businesses. I’m sharing a few of my slides here for any readers who may be interested in a similar pursuit. I don’t have all the answers, but I do have some thoughts and lessons learned.
