F is for Fish Camp – and for finding inspiration to write children’s books
Seventeen years ago, Fish Camp inspired an Aggie to become an author, writing children's books. At the time, AGEC 425 "Survivor" Cameron O'Connell '07 was a counselor, not a Fish. His Fish Camp journey changed his life. O'Connell celebrates his life, married to Aggie April South '06 and father to three future Ags. He also just published his first children's book, "The ABC's of Aggieland."
O’Connell became a first-year counselor in Camp Boettcher in 2005. His camp's namesake, Cindy Boettcher, is the author of “A is for Aggie.” O'Connell remembered, “I was deeply moved by Cindy and the work she had created! She was a true inspiration, and her book was so beloved and treasured. I knew I wanted to impact current and future Aggies in a similar way but was unsure I could ever author a book!” With that, his creative juices starting flowing. He embarked on a journey that would take years to come to fruition.
His Fish Camp experience was the single most pivotal moment in his life. Not only was he introduced to the works of Cindy Boettcher, but he also met his future wife, April South (Class of ‘06), who was a Co-Chair. O'Connell would later go on to become a Fish Camp Co-Chair for Camp (Dale) Pracht. Pracht provided guidance and a vision to support O'Connell's dream to complete the process of writing a children’s book.
While a student at Texas A&M, O'Connell received direction and inspiration from various faculty during his undergraduate studies. Dr. Joyce Juntune helped him obtain a minor in Creative Studies and taught him effective brainstorming techniques, including how to articulate his ideas in writing. Dr. Ed Rister provided valuable insight on transforming his creative skills into a business, bringing in the applied knowledge O'Connell had taken from his classes in Agricultural Economics, his major.
Cameron’s ABC’s of writing/publishing:
A – Action! Plan to act and then, ACT! I have learned that one has to wake up in the morning and keep pushing forward. Challenges = opportunities.
B – Basic. While you might have grand ideas and big plans, keep it simple at first. Take care of the basics, build a firm foundation, and then move on to the details. Narrow the big picture down and then Act.
C – Courage! Anything worth doing is challenging. The things that scare you the most are the things you should prioritize to do first. They are the most critical and will provide the greatest rewards.
The work of writing a book
The Aggie Network and professor Rodney Hill, connected him with Carolyn Jarecki ’19, who believed in his vision and created the beautiful artwork to accompany his words. They worked closely for several months to make his vision a reality. “I am sure there were times when Carolyn must have wanted to wring my neck with all of the changes I would throw at her. She is so gifted and talented,” says O’Connell. “She was always so very kind and gracious and provided constructive feedback. We are both very proud of our finished product."
O'Connell's wife, April, and sons, Luke, Zack, and Josh, also encouraged and assisted him every step of the way. “It turned out to be a great family project. I could not have done it without them,” said O’Connell. “I wanted to share some of the joy that I had for Aggieland with my boys. In the process, I learned our boys also have creative juices of their own.” One of their ideas was hiding uppercase and lowercase letters on each page of the book. Thus, the book became a teaching tool, and an opportunity for children to learn about Texas A&M and its Aggie traditions.
Since the book's release, O'Connell's favorite part of the journey has been attending booking-signing events. He said, “It’s a wonderful feeling to talk with other Aggies and reminisce about all of the fabulous traditions A&M has to offer. People absolutely light up when they start flipping through the pages. Kids love to look for the hidden letters.”
When asked what’s next, O'Connell said he has a few more Aggie book ideas in the works. With Jarecki’s help, he hopes to create a small collection of children’s books.
The ABC's of Aggieland is available for purchase on Amazon. For a personalized copy, order your books from O'Connell through Etsy. You may also find a book-signing event near you using Twitter or Facebook.