It's Never Dull

Murrells Inlet, SC

Dear Writers,

Just when you may think I've entered the witness protection program and disappeared, here I am!

We are closing in on the deadline to register for 7 Easy Steps to Memoir Writing, a two session seminar to be held on Saturday, November 5 and 12, 2011 through Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Coastal Carolina University, specifically at Waccamaw Higher Education Center in Litchfield, SC from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Why only two sessions? Because you will be able to obtain a manual and all of the tools needed to continue your memoir writing project at your own pace by the end of the two sessions. To register, call 843-349-6584 and someone will be delighted to enroll you in the class. Hope to see you there!

The class manual for 7 Easy Steps to Memoir Writing is a project that I will be publishing in print form and as an e-book. It's on the "To Do" list, and the manuscript contains the necessary steps plus tips and hints, as well as a lengthy list of questions that you can use to interview relatives about family history or that you can use to formulate your own story. It also contains resource information and a few special stories by prior workshop attendees. Stay tuned!

Never Say Perfect:

I imagine you feel like I do sometimes. Is this manuscript ever going to be published? It's such a gripping story, and here it sits on my computer, waiting like a permanent bridesmaid and never a bride. After querying a handful of agents, I queried a "to remain nameless" (I don't want them to hate me forever) publisher a few months ago and felt strongly that this would be a perfect fit. I've heard nothing from them...not yes, not no, not maybe. Their Web site indicates that a followup e-mail is appropriate after a certain number of weeks, and we have exceeded that window.

Trying to obey the rules, I sent my followup e-mail and have yet to receive a response. Frustrated to say the least, I began searching for new resources regarding the world of publishing and found Mary DeMuth's book entitled 11 Secrets of Getting Published. I could hardly wait to begin reading it after ordering it on my Nook, and it definitely did not disappoint me.

I started with a fairly speedy read-through and then sat down with pen and paper to take some important notes. Following my second read, I am encouraged and have a new and revitalized enthusiasm for Never Say Perfect. Direct from the trenches, 11 Secrets of Getting Published provides an enlightening view of important suggestions for attempting to find a publisher. I had much more to learn than I had realized.

Honestly believing that my manuscript was as publishing-ready as could be, I felt that there was nothing more I could possibly do to improve it. It was neatly wrapped and packaged with a fancy bow. Wrong! After intently studying 11 Secrets of Getting Published, it was obvious to me that I now need to thoroughly review my manuscript to search for the basic newbie errors commonly detected by agents, editors and publishers.

For example, I'll be checking for head hopping (the book provides a clear explanation of this literary faux pas), cliches, passive verbs, weak verbs, rambling and overuse of favorite words. 11 Secrets succinctly and patiently walks the reader/budding author through examples of these writing bugaboos. And I don't think I'll ever become automatically accustomed to entering only one space following a period. Old habits are truly tough to break.

Taking Mary DeMuth's advice and applying it to Never Say Perfect can only improve my manuscript, after which I will be simultaneously querying a new batch of agents. Hopefully, at least one will see the value that the story holds for touching hearts and souls. An enormous thank you to Mary DeMuth for providing a guide that is direct, informative and not fluffy or sugar-coated. She carefully spells out what it means to struggle with being a writer, including all of the inherent challenges as well as blessings. Don't forget to visit her Web site at www.marydemuth.com to take advantage of the beneficial resources she offers. If you happen to sign up for her e-mail newsletters, you'll be truly blessed because she often begins with a word of prayer. Sometimes that prayer arrives just when I seem to need it!

Writing and Publishing-Not for those who expect instant success:

This entire year has been jam packed with frequent travel, family emergencies, blogging, professional education and a very few rounds of not my best golf. All of this has resulted in my writing projects moving ahead at turtle speed in terms of finalization. Hopefully, over the next couple of months I can dedicate enough uninterrupted time to finishing the projects that have been placed on my heart to share.

Is the writing life easy? It's rather comical actually--when I was working full time in property management and squeezing out paragraph after paragraph for Eyelash in my spare moments, I believed that if I could only write full time, accomplishing my goals would be so simple and I could be hyper-productive. What I discovered was that juggling multiple writing projects requires tremendous discipline and that every day normal life has a way of encroaching on concentration and dedication. I have also learned that I can only give my best efforts, and beyond that, it's in God's timing. As it all unfolds, may it always be to His honor and glory.

Until next time......

Writing Equals Details

Update on writing projects:

My head is spinning with projects at this moment! I'll give a brief synopsis of what's happening as of today:

The manuscript for my second novel, Never Say Perfect, is in the hands of a publisher for review. Of course, this could be yet another dead end, but I pray that it clicks with the editor and good news arrives before I have one foot in the grave. I'm really trying to practice infinite patience on this project, as it's been ready to go for some time now.

I am about two to three weeks away from finalizing a book and e-book project entitled 10 Easy Steps to Writing the Life Story of Your Treasured Pet. This is based on information gathered and my experience in helping people write their pet stories. I wanted to make this option available to anyone who would like to capture the special memories of their other "family members." As we know, the devil is in the details, and I am chipping away at the various items on my To Do list that will be necessary for completing the project. Stay tuned!


This fall, I'll be teaching 7 Easy Steps to Memoir Writing through Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Coastal Carolina University and am in the process of developing a guide for that class and for eventual publication. It will also contain some select stories from former students who have graciously agreed to allow me to share what they have written. I'm excited about this project as well!

"Mr. Burns"...........................Quite a guy!!!

Two years ago, I was participating in a vendor fair at Cooper House and met Faith Robertson, who was one of the organizers of the event. When she found out that I assist people in writing their life stories, she said, "You have got to meet my dad. He has some very interesting stories to tell." At the end of that day, along came Mr. Robertson to help Faith pack up her belongings, and we were introduced. We chatted for a while, and what a charmer he is!!! At the time we met, he was 83 years old and full of spunk and energy. He began to share some of the highlights of his life, and Faith was right--he had some fascinating stories to tell. We talked about how I might be able to guide him in preserving those memories for his daughters, and shortly after that time, our journey began. He recently published "Mr. Burns" and has now held two book signings--one in Canada and one in the Myrtle Beach area, with yet another scheduled in Virginia at the end of this month.

At 85 years of age, he is more energetic than ever and is enjoying sharing his stories with many people who have been waiting to see exactly what he would reveal in his book. He golfs, bowls, enjoys boating, socializing and helping people, and is a huge inspiration to others.

Although his first name is Burns, people have called him "Mr. Burns" for many years. His book tells about the highlights of his life including relocating to Middleburg, Virginia from Quebec, Canada at age 5, serving in two branches of the military, falling in love and marrying his sweetheart, Rachel, owning a business, the births of his daughters, dabbling in thoroughbred horse racing, enjoying community service through his membership in the Lions Club and the American Legion, celebrities he met in the Middleburg, Virginia area, family outings as Washington Redskins fans, the travel adventures that he and Rachel enjoyed over the years, and the various trips he has taken with daughters, Suzie and Faith, in recent times. He doesn't hesitate to give credit to God for seeing him through all of the ups and downs in life.

Burns Robertson was such a delight to work with, and I will always treasure the time we spent together on this project. He reminded me so much of my own dad (1919-1999) and on those occasions when he would utter certain little phrases that my dad used to say, I would just shake my head and smile. Sometimes working with him almost made me feel as though I was being granted a little time with my dad again. Really special.

If you would like to order his book, he can be contacted by email at: burnsrsf@sccoast.net or an order can be directly placed through www.tbmbooks.com. You will enjoy his tales of a fascinating life.

I want to commend Mr. Robertson for seeing this project through to completion and beyond! He is one amazing character, and I hope that his memoir inspires others to preserve their memories as well.

If you are in the Myrtle Beach area and want to learn how to jump-start a memoir preservation project, sign up for my OLLI at CCU course to be held in November at Waccamaw Higher Ed Center!

Troubled and discouraged today?
I Peter 5:7 tells us: Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. (NIV)
We don't have to do life alone.......

Until next time, don't forget to read my Italy travel posts in www.4womenwholove2travel.blogspot.com. A new segment is posted each Monday!

Memoir Writing Workshops

New class forming:

On the next two Mondays, March 1 and March 8, 2010, I'll be holding another two session series to help people jump-start their memoir writing projects. This series will be held at The Sand Trap Room at Tupelo Bay in Garden City, SC from 5:30 to 7:30 pm, and I always eagerly look forward to meeting the new group of writers and giving them the tools to get them started. Call me at 843-215-4676 if you'd like to attend.

The stories that emerge from these workshops are beyond imagination. It takes immense courage to exhume the skeletons of the distant past, snippets of dark experiences long buried, and shine a probing light on them--even momentarily. I have tremendous admiration for those who have been able to do this because there is a healing that can bind those ancient wounds when you view the past trauma as a mature adult. Bitterness eats at your heart from the inside out, and if you are a survivor of any kind of childhood abuse, expelling that burden that can produce hatred and anger, allows you to forgive and move beyond it. As I learned from a recent student, those experiences, as unfair and unconscionable as they are, can make you a person who wants to avoid the same type of behavior. To your monumental credit, you want to be someone who treats people with love and respect. My heart goes out to those who have been victims of childhood abuse--there is no excuse for it and no child should ever have to endure it. God bless you in healing those scars.

Writing at the beach:

Sometimes on sunny, but chilly, winter days when the breeze from the ocean is a bit too brisk for setting up my writing camp on the sand--beach chair, small folding table, bottled water and a snack, mini-pillow for my back, and ample supply of sun screen, I drive to one of two or three special locations where I can park my car and enjoy an expansive view of the ocean or the inlet. I might bring my lunch to enjoy while gazing out at the massive body of water that stretches as far as the eye can see, and/or bring a writing or reading project or my womens' Bible study lessons to work on in this inspiring atmosphere.

For the past couple of afternoons, I've done exactly that, and I love every moment of this solitude. Although yesterday, I took a long beach walk, I also spent considerable time just sitting in my car, working on my projects. The interesting thing is that I'm not the only one. At one of my favorite locations, I often see the same people sitting in their cars--reading the newspaper or a magazine or a book. Some people drive in, park, and just sit there mesmerized by the crashing waves, puffy white clouds, people walking their adorable dogs, and the sheer serenity.

If you are an ocean lover, there is a magnetic force that pulls you toward the shore line just to capture a glimpse of the scenery that lowers your blood pressure and sends a wave of the peaceful, easy feeling through you as soon as the foaming water is in view. This is evidenced by the steady stream of cars, many sporting northern license plates, that I witnessed pulling into the parking lot during my automobile work time in the past two days. They drove in, maneuvered as close to the beach as cars are allowed to venture, drivers and passengers stared out at the rolling sea for a moment, and then exited the parking lot. Perhaps this is a daily routine for them during their Myrtle Beach area stay, or perhaps this was the last day of their vacation, and they just wanted one final peek at their beloved ocean. The fascinating aspect was that there was a steady stream of such vehicles, countless drivers in the quest for one last view. The parking lot was so busy with this activity that for a moment, it reminded me of the drive through at the bank or a fast food restaurant. I totally relate. That's why I'm sitting there working on my next novel....or making my "to do" list or my grocery list or my prayer list. It's where I feel closest to God--where He breathes down on me and says, "You are My child." So rather than being annoyed with the ocean gawkers driving past me, temporarily partially blocking my view, I say, "Enjoy, my friend. I totally understand."

Exercise:

Anyone who reads this blog knows that I am somewhat exercise obsessed. That's because if I don't stick with it almost daily, my clothing begins to strain at the seams. I know that it's a lifetime commitment--along with making the appropriate food choices. As a friend said a couple of days ago, "It's all about calories in vs. calories out." But I have to tell you that I made an amazing discovery the other day. How often do you pull on a pair of pants that suddenly seems to have reduced by one size while in the dryer? Then you say to yourself, it's me--it's not the dryer. I must be gaining weight. Well, I have some news for you. A couple of years ago, I found a particular pair of pants that I liked. So I bought them in two additional colors. I had black, brown and khaki. For some reason, I seemed to wear the black and brown pairs more frequently and, therefore, they experienced the force of the washer & dryer on a regular basis. Okay, same style, same designer, same size, but the khakis fit much more loosely. So, it really COULD be your drier and not your chubby body that makes your clothing feel too tight sometimes. I'll admit that this isn't always the case, but this semi-scientific study does prove the possibility. So I feel better just knowing that! It's time for me to close this post and hop on my jogging trampoline!

Until the next time.....may God richly bless and keep you!