I've been published in magazines, WeeOnes (story and illustrations), Dragonfly Spirit (twice for illustrations), and Kid Magazine Writers (article on the writing life). I don't have any books published yet, but I'm hoping that the books I'm working on now will attract a publisher. In the mean time, I thought I'd post my spoof on the MTV Made show that appeared in Kid Magazine Writers January 2006 issue:

I Want To Be Made
by Stephanie Ruble

I want to be made into a writer, just like teenagers can be made into whatever they want on MTV. And just like on the TV show, I'd have to go through awful and humiliating things on my road to being made.

Instead of getting up at five in the morning to do sit ups and run around the gym, I would have to get up at that insane hour to turn on my computer. My Made coach would be frustrated with me because I wanted to sleep in. She would think I was being too whiny when I wanted to stop and gather my thoughts. After a while, she would give in and let me have breakfast.

My Made coach would make me do writing exercises and read the magazines I might want to submit my story to. She would tell me to try getting published in a magazine before I even attempted to write a book. Of course, I would still write my book when my Made coach wasn't around, but I wouldn't tell her. My Made coach would make me socialize with other writers on discussion boards and at conferences because it's important to network and make friends.

We would talk about the progress, or lack of progress on my story. My Made coach would read all the early drafts and not tell me how bad they were, but offer suggestions to help me get back on track instead. She would encourage me to keep writing no matter what.

Then there would be research. I would complain about it and my Made coach would help me to make the research not so painful. Or she would tell me to suck it up and get on with it already. She would tell me that I had only six weeks to write my manuscript and send it in to a magazine. She'd say that I had better know soon where I was going to send my story.

There would be homework. There's always homework on Made. My husband and our two cats would take the place of the parents on the MTV show. They would make sure that I sat at the computer every night to compose queries and cover letters, and to write or rewrite my manuscript.

And then it would be time to say goodbye to my Made coach. She would be impressed that I was a better writer than I had been six weeks ago. My time would be up, my manuscript finished, and my hopes soaring. But unlike the TV show where you would find out right away if you made the team or got the date, I would have to wait, and wait, and wait some more to find out if I was a writer.

When I least expected it and my Made coach had already forgotten about me, an envelope with an acceptance letter would arrive in my mailbox.

I Want To Be Made.