page 4 The Fourth Wall By Ashley Moore Staff Writer Both good and bad experiences shape our memories. Throughout our college years we are engulfed by those memories and will keep them all our lives. This fall, Penn State students from campuses all over Pennsylvania will transfer to University Park to finish out their life long dreams, none the less creating new memories along the way. - “My experience at Penn State Mont Alto has been great. I have enjoyed living on this campus and I value the information I have learned from my professors, advisor and friends.” Judy Zhang, a second year business major, said in discussing her experience at Penn State Mont Alto. This year, Judy along with several other sophomores will be heading up to State College to finish their education. Like many other Penn State students, they have decided to begin their Penn State experience at a smaller has grown to over 43,000 students. campus. For two years, they have worked to gain an entrance into their prospective majors and now it’s time for the sophomores to pack up their belongings and begin the other leg of their college journey- a journey some students are eager to begin and others are optimistic about. When asked what she would miss about Mont Alto, Judy replies “I will miss Professor Bardi, I had classes with him, and he is also my club advisor. The special thing about him is the way he teaches; it’s unique from other professors. He taught us how to be us, how to be thankful, and what’s what makes him unique and special from the other professors. I hope I meet other professors like Bardi up at University Park.” SGA President Mark Burnett, a second year student, double By Ryan Kelly Staff Writer Recently, nationally published author Valerie Malmont came to the Penn State Mont Alto campus to give an informative talk to aspiring writers on “How to Get It Mrs. Malmont gave several “rules” concerning becoming a good author. Her first rule was “If you want to write, read, read, read.” The value of this is apparent, as reading not only expands one’s vocabulary, but also helps one develop an eye for structure, character development, and also style. Her second rule was “If you’re writing a book, write the whole book and finish it.” She modifies this rule with the caveat that it is for works of fiction. This rule is fairly obvious, but the advice it offers goes beyond merely finishing the book to becoming a method for keeping one’s work logically consistent. Rule Number 3 was “Don’t talk your book to death.” Basically, don’t tell everyone what you are writing about. Why would anyone want to buy a book containing a story they have already heard? So, when telling others about your book, keep it short and to the point. , The fourth piece of advice was to “get to know other authors.” Authors not only provide inspiration, but they may have industry connections as well, know what the story is with certain agents, and be able to direct you to additional resources to improve your writing. Mrs. Malmont’s fifth rule was “Go to as many conferences as possible.” Writers’ conferences, especially ones that pertain to your particular genre, can be especially useful in getting the word out about who you are as an author, or even help you improve your writing skills. Additionally, they may help you establish new industry connections. rules was “write as quickly as was said above, this helps your story retain focus. One can always go back and edit a finished work, but if your story is incomplete, why bother? Additionally, it may also prevent you from getting sick of the story and writing it. Finally, the last rule offered was “to prepare an elevator synopsis.” Basically, you need to prepare a brief summary of'your story, about 50-100 words, which you can pitch to someone at a moment’s notice. If you find yourself in an elevator majoring in Psychology Neuroscience and Political Science, states, “I feel like I’m leaving Penn State. Many people believe that University Park is Penn State because they have the great football team and many big buildings, but besides the football games, University Park has no sense of community. Here at Penn State Mont Alto the faculty knows your name, Dr Gnage walks around during lunch and gets to know the students, and you don’t see President Spanier doing that up there.” : to University Park; there, you will just become another number; another face in a crowd, just a student to some of the professors. Here at Mont Alto, the students are known by name; their professors, advisors, as well as their peers know who they are. It’s a small, intimate campus and you are bound to leave with many friends. Mont Alto and other smaller Penn State campuses, many students believe, is a great place to begin the transition from with an editor from a publishing house, you better be able to pitch your story. If you can’t memorize it, Mrs. Malmont recommends writing it down and carrying it with you. Some additional advice Mrs. Malmont offered was concerning agents. Basically, in the world of fiction publishing, you will require the services of an agent. You should really find an agent you like, because otherwise you will be paying someone you hate. When selecting an agent, pay attention to their skills and experience. Ask around or look on the internet for reviews of the agent you might be considering. Some last advice offered was to manage your intellectual property carefully. When you publish a book, the publisher owns the rights to it. So sell the rights separately. — mass market, trade, High School to College. With this transition completed the sophomores journey into a faster pace of college iife. They will encounter bigger class sizes, more students, and more temptations to campus is huge and temptation might get the better of them, many believe that they will be all right, and are open to the new change of scenery and pace. When asked whether she had any regrets about coming to Penn State Mont Alto before heading to University Park, sophomore Rachel Yaggie replies, “I have greatly enjoyed my two years at Mont Alto! I do not regret coming to Mont Alto before University Park because of all the friends I made, experiences I had, and memories I campus between the mountains and the fields.” University Park is certainly meant for some but not for others. To all the students leaving for University Park, good luck. large print, etc. can all be sold separately. Additionally, you may sell the movie rights, or even make the rights limited so that they revert back to you after a period of time. This informational session offered by Mrs. Malmont was certainly informative. Aspiring writers should find the information she provided, and repeated here, very useful. If you have made it this far, you could very well be interested in publishing a work of your own, and if that’s the case, best of luck to you.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers