life, the universe and everything

Do you have any idea how insanely exciting it is to go to a writing symposium, meet your favorite author and have him tell you he likes the concept for your novel? I bet you don't! But let me tell you from experience that it is one of the most amazing feelings in the world. Yes, this happened to me this past weekend.
I attended Life, the Universe and Everything, the science fiction and fantasy symposium at the Wilkinson Center (hereafter called "the Wilk" as it is termed) which was really neat to begin with. The classes and panels were excellent. I wish I could have spent more time at the symposium, but I had this pesky little thing called college going on. Who invented that?
I learned about everything from collaboration with editors to the science of magic. I also went to an internet advertising class that is making me question every thing I write down here.
It might interest you to know that I spent the better part of an hour writing the beautiful tale of what happened in the first paragraph, but read it back over and realized, "Calise, no one cares." If you do care, I feel loved and you can comment or email me for the whole story.
The good news is, I've gotten my second wind...or eighth breeze, really, and I have a great determination to press onward now. I'm going to get published. I'm going to be a novelist and be a great influence for good in the world. This is my dearest ambition.
Oh, I should tell you, I've come up with my own personal mission statement of why I am supposed to write. Are you ready?
In writing I desire to illuminate life, to help people come to the wonderful knowledge I've been blessed with--that we can be happy here on earth despite the nasty things that happen. I truly believe that. I also want to find beauty in unexpected places.
That sounds pretty good, huh? sstm Well, it makes me happy anyway. Do you like the word "illuminate?" I worked a long time trying to put my finger on that one.
So, once again, life is good. I'm going to write and do what I love and go to school so I can make book to movie adaptions better than Eragon and life will still be good. Although I did get rejected by a guy this weekend. *Ouch*