Being the Best

By Doyne Phillips, Managing Editor of Southern Writers Magazine

In 1976 Jimmy Carter was running for President of the United State and had written a book in which he told of his graduation as a naval officer and a subsequent interview with the famous Admiral Rickover. Rickover asked, “Where did you come in your class in the Naval Academy?” With pride Carter said: “Sir, I came 59th in a class of 840!”

Carter sat with expectations of praise but was surprised by Rickover with the question, “Did you do your best?” Carter thought then answered, “No, Sir, I didn’t always do my best.” With that Rickover ask, “Why not?!” The impact of that question was far reaching. Carter titled his book, Why Not the Best? It was also used as the theme of his Presidential Campaign.

I remember reading Carter’s book and asking myself, “Why not indeed?” Why not the best? David Cottrell in his book TheMagic Question reminds us what being the best means when he stated, ““The rewards for being the best as opposed to being average are heavily skewed. People want to work for the best, buy from the best, and deal with the best in almost every situation in our society. The best-selling books sell millions more copies than the average books. The best movies generate millions more dollars than 50 average movies. Likewise the rewards for being the best within your industry are enormous. Customers flock to winners. When you create an atmosphere where needs are being met, people will choose to go above and beyond to make a connection with the best.”

What must we do to become the best?  We must first decide we want to do our best and become the best. We must then determine we are willing to pay the price to be the best. NFL legend Jerry Rice said "Today I will do what others won't, so tomorrow I can accomplish what others can't." Those that are the best start earlier, work longer, learn more, communicate well and push themselves to places they may feel uncomfortable. The best are willing to pay the price because they know “the rewards for the best are heavily skewed.”

“Why not the best?” is something each of us must ask ourselves. We must search our souls and weigh the rewards against the commitment it takes to be the best. Once we have done that we may then ask ourselves, “Why not indeed?”  

Writing With Purpose

By Lenore Skomal

I write to be heard. Growing up in a large family, wedged in between four brothers and two sisters, two sets of grandparents and my own parents, it was a struggle at best to be listened to. Especially as a middle child.

I suspect this is where my manic need to write down my thoughts stemmed from, initially. And when I won my first essay competition in grade school, well, that just iced the cake for me.

Over the years, I’ve found that while expression is the primary reason for my writing, it’s also become a very practical way for me to sort out life. This started at a very basic emotive level. Emotions were often complicated in the world of my youth, which was layered with dysfunction and blame. Working through to discover what I was really, truly feeling happened almost mystically through my writing.

As I have grown up and older, the craft has become an expert way to pick apart the ups and downs of a lifetime, not just for me, but for my fellow human beings. Observing others and myself, I have quickly discovered that we as humans respond to situations, disappointments, joys and sorrows pretty much the same way. And in that, lies the commonality of our human experience.

Much of my writing is insightful and that is purposefully so. I want to touch other people because once we all reach a place of resonance with each other, the next step is understanding, and with that, all barriers between us can be dissolved. Or at the very least, recognized.

I write from my human experience and my heart. Everything I put on paper comes from deep within me. It is authentic. It’s the most potent aspect of my writing. The readers are never far from my heart and I think they can feel that. I also never talk down to my readers, by neglecting my art as a skilled wordsmith.

The best compliment I can receive is when someone says, “I feel like you’re writing what I’m feeling.” And make no mistake about that—it isn’t always pleasant or, conversely, heart wrenching. It can be disturbing, downright immoral and very ugly. Which is why I tend toward themes that are often those we as a society are prone to avoid—death, long-term illness, rape, infidelity, addiction, mental illness, you name it.

My belief is that while we eschew those topics, trying to distance ourselves from them for comfort’s sake, if you scratch the surface, we are all somewhat drawn to them, even if it is only for macabre reasons.

This is not to say that my writing is depressing or dark. In life, I prefer happy endings, am a sucker for nostalgia and pageantry, revel in fairy tales, and believe in the goodness of humanity. I’m an optimist but also a pragmatist. For without acknowledging how base we can be as species, we can never truly find redemption, understand, and implement how truly powerful and ecclesiastic we are.

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Lenore Skomal wants you to eat her books, especially her new novel, BLUFF. Winner of multiple awards for blogging, literature, biography and humor, her catalogue spans many genres. With 30 years of writing experience, over 17 books published, a daily blog and weekly column, the consistent themes in her work are the big issues of the human experience and adding depth and voice to the intricacies involved in living a multi-dimensional existence. She has won many Society of Professional Journalist awards, the Whidbey Island Writer's Conference honorable mention for best fiction, Writer's Digest 73rd Annual Fiction Contest, New York Public Library's Best Books for Teens 2003, and most recently, the 2012 Next Generation Indie Book Award for humor for “Burnt Toast.,” her first anthology of her award winning humor columns. From journalism, to literary fiction, to humor and biography, her writing is consistent, if not in genre, then in message.  As a member of the world community, she is excited by the opportunities presented in today's publishing climate having started her own publishing imprint in 2011 in order to release her anthologies and her upcoming debut novel, “BLUFF.” Check out her website at www.lenoreskomal.net

How to Make People Want to Read Your Book

by Gary Fearon, Creative Director, Southern Writers Magazine


Perhaps the most valuable lesson in advertising and sales is the realization that nobody wants to spend money. However, they can be persuaded to spend it in a number of ways. And the most time-tested way to do that is to make them believe that your product will change their life.

Southern Writers Magazine is 99 and 44/100% pure

That sounds like a daunting challenge, if not an impossible task altogether, but in truth, it isn't necessary to change their entire existence, you merely have to suggest that you will improve it in some way. The principle behind this is called "Don't sell soap, sell hope."

Let's go right to the source and see how they do it. Dove Soap knows better than to simply tell you their product will get you clean. They enhance the appeal with phrases like, "It's a refreshing, uplifting sensation for your skin." Irish Spring tells guys they'll get "healthy feelng skin the lasses can't keep their hands off" (which, appropriately, even slides a little Irish lingo into the suggestion).

Simply put, the buyer merely needs assurance that your product will enhance their life somehow. So how can you convince someone that reading your book or subscribing to your blog will change their life for the better? Ask yourself what the reader really wants.

If you write fiction, it would be easy to write off this analysis by declaring that they just want a good read, and since you've written a good read, end of story. On the surface, there's truth in that, but go deeper into the reader's dreams if you want to stand out from the quarter of a million other books that will be published this year.

Show them that your love story will transport them to an exotic locale where they'll experience the greatest romance they've ever known.  Convince them that they'll share great adventures with your master detective and unlock the mysteries of life.  Let them know there's a refreshing escape from the hum-drum of daily life ahead for them if they'll just indulge in your book. 

Hope floats.  Sometimes just barely.

Do you write nonfiction? You'll find it even easier to target your reader's desires. They don't want to just learn how to use Excel, they want to become the recognized sultan of spreadsheets in their circle. Rather than merely learning the basics of home repair, they want to know they'll save hundreds of dollars and gain the confidence of their adoring spouse next time the toilet backs up.

It isn't hard to communicate the implied promises of your book. A cover that conveys the right atmosphere can pull a reader in before the title even registers. Then the right title (and perhaps subtitle, if nonfiction) should reel them in. Beyond that, make sure your back cover and Amazon description convinces a potential reader that your book will provide an experience they cannot live without. Do that, and you've made a sale.

There are lots of reasons why people will want to buy your book.  Hone in on those motivations by selling them hope—not soap—and you just might clean up.
 

Indicators of Success

By Richard L. Mabry, MD

The surgeon describes a very difficult procedure to the patient, and then asks if there are any questions.

“Will I be able to play the violin?”

The surgeon pauses and rubs his chin. “I think you will.”

“Wonderful. I’ve always wanted to be able to do that.”

For the thirty-six years I practice medicine, I never undertook a surgical procedure or an extensive course of treatment without asking the patient, “What is your indicator of success?”

What does this have to do with writing? A writer will have an indicator of success, whether they consciously admit it, before they begin. However, unlike the surgeon and patient, the writer’s goals may change as things move forward.

For the new writer, the goal may be simply to start a book. That blank computer screen can be intimidating, and somehow the sight of it makes all creative ideas flee the brain like geese headed south for the winter. But, like getting olives out of a bottle, once the process starts it’s easier for it to proceed.

Completing the writing of a book is something that relatively few people ever accomplish. If you do it, you can congratulate yourself. Ask half a dozen of your friends if they’ve ever written a book, and you’ll probably get half a dozen blank stares—unless your friends are also writers.

Once you’ve written the book, your next goal is to get it in print. To accomplish this you train your sights on representation from an agent, then interest from a publisher, and finally a positive response from the publishing committee. When that happens, you’ve done it! You have your first contract. That means you’ve achieved success, right? Not really.

The published writer has a new set of goals. For the first book, they involve edits, galley proofs, and marketing. But at the same time (and even before, if you’re planning ahead), a new goal pops up: a second book—then maybe a third. The process seems never-ending.

All those goals are good ones, but I’m going to suggest something different. I’m going to suggest that your indicator of success be a single, non-negotiable, unchanging one: to reflect Christ to your readers in a positive fashion that will uplift their spirits and draw them closer to Him.

And what if the work is never published? Even then, your words will affect one person—you. And maybe that’s God’s plan all along.

St. Francis of Assisi said, “Preach the gospel every day. When necessary, use words.” God has gifted you with an ability to use words. Do so for His glory. That’s your true indicator of success.

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"I'm a retired physician, who got into non-medical writing after the death of my first wife with my book, THE TENDER SCAR: LIFE AFTER THE DEATH OF A SPOUSE. I'm gratified that it continues to help those who have lost a loved one. I moved into writing fiction. Thus far I've had four novels of medical suspense published: CODE BLUE, MEDICAL ERROR, DIAGNOSIS DEATH, and LETHAL REMEDY. The second and third books listed were named finalists for the ACFW Carol Award and Romantic Times' Best Inspirational Novel respectively.My next book,STRESS TEST releases 4-9-13. I currently serve as Vice-President of the American Christian Fiction Writers and am a proud member of the International Thriller Writers. When I'm not writing, I'm busy being a husband and grandfather, working on my golf game, and doing the hundred-and-one other things that retired people do. I'm busier now than I ever was while in practice--and loving it."-Amazon

Making The Time

By Mia Fisher

As a writer, I, like many of my colleagues, block moments of time in an already-busy schedule to make sure I get something – anything – written. And like many of my colleagues, I complain about it, but I do it. Why do I make time to write? Because, writing is just as much my job as teaching school, and, if I want to see my book hit the shelf, I need to write something.  Many people want to write but use the excuse “I just don’t have the time”.  It’s a common complaint writers hear from friends and family.  My last book,Blood Roles, was completed during the last two weeks of my late husband’s hospitalization.  I took care of whatever needed to be taken care of during the day, I spent my time at the hospital, took care of my kids (although they’re teenagers and didn’t need much taking care of), and since I couldn’t sleep anyway, at night I wrote and edited.  I didn’t drop the ball just because my world was falling apart.

True, that is an extreme example, but it proves the point: if I can write during such a traumatic time, there’s no reason that somebody can’t turn off their television or skip a sports event or tell their friend to ask somebody else to go shopping with them in order to work on their book.   It’s a harsh reality, but, for many, saying “I just don’t have the time” equals “I’m not willing to make the time”.  There’s a popular little poster floating around Facebook that says, “If you still have a life you’re not a writer.”  That is so true it’s not even funny.

True writers will write no matter what, no matter where – they will work their writing into any and all schedules in their lives. They’re known to let laundry and dirty dishes sit idle so they can get that last chapter written.  I know authors who TiVo’d the Olympics so they could finish a synopsis and writers who’ve literally taken edits into the delivery room.  They write because they can and because they truly want to. Ultimately, that’s the key, wanting to.

Nora Roberts once said, "A writer never finds the time to write. A writer makes it. If you don’t have the drive, the discipline, and the desire, then you can have all the talent in the world, and you aren’t going to finish a book. All the talent in the world isn’t going to do you any good."  Truer words have never been spoken.

If you truly want to write – WRITE. Don’t let anything get in the way.   Make time to write, even if it’s ten to fifteen minutes in the morning before you leave for work or twenty minutes before bed.  You’ll be amazed how much you can actually write, in a short span of time.  If you don’t have a good support system for your writing, make your own – there are a plethora of writers’ groups online as well as fantastic writer’s groups throughout the country which have local as well as online chapters. They can aid in helping a struggling writer meet his or her goal to finish the book.  A writer is never alone; there’s another writer out there working hard to get his or her piece done.  Writing is a labor of love at the expense of just about everything else, but it’s worth it when you finish the book – you just have to make the time to do so.   

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Mia Fisher is a romance novelist who moved to Florida in June 2012 after twenty years of being landlocked in the Midwest.  Born and raised in New England, she is a graduate of Colorado Technical University with a degree in Human Services and is currently working on her Masters in Social Work while teaching preschool.  She is the 2013 President of Kiss of Death, the mystery-suspense chapter of Romance Writers of America. Her latest book is Illusions,. Her paranormal romance, Ethereal Ecstasy will be out next year with Black Velvet Seductions and the next book in her mystery-suspense series, Bad Medicine is also scheduled to appear in 2013 as well.  Ms. Fisher is a widow with four children; she lives outside of Tampa with her teenage daughter and a cat with evil intentions.  Her website: www.miafisher.net.  For more information regarding RWA or KOD, visit their websites at http://www.rwa.org/ and http://www.rwamysterysuspense.org/ . 

Soulful Impressions

By Annette Cole Mastron, Communications Director for Southern Writers Magazine

April is poetry month. Poetry is not a genre that comes natural to my word flow. When someone says write a poem, I feel like a deer caught in headlights. Frozen.

Recently, a writers group discussion about poetry writing changed my response. Through the poetry exercise, I realized writing a poem forces me to tell a story in prose which equates to a tight writing style. Publishers like tight writing. 

It reminded me that when my children were small and we read 30 minutes minimum everyday, they gravitated to rhyming books. To this day my now grown children can recite the rhymes from their childhood read-alouds.

Here are some of our favorites;
"In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines lived twelve little girls in two straight lines. In two straight lines they broke their bread and brushed their teeth and went to bed. They smiled at the good and frowned at the bad and sometimes they were very sad. They left the house at half past nine in two straight lines in rain or shine — the smallest one was Madeline."---Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans

“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, 
stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”---How the GrinchStole Christmas By Dr. Seuss

"When Katy caboose rambled down the train tracks,
The engines were steamers with puffing smoke stacks.
She was a caboose who disliked being last
With an endless black cloud of smoke rolling past
'It's not only smoky,' the caboose would complain,
'There's the jerks and the jolts of this noisy freight train'.
Often Katy would wish that someday she could be
Something quiet and simple like a lovely elm tree."
---The Caboose Who Got Loose By Bill Peet

"From cans to flat tires
to old paper bags, 
to sofas and soupspoons, 
to old clothes and rags."...
"Then what they all saw
made them cheer, dance and sing: 
"An amazing invention!"
"A most beautiful thing!""...
"Protect our dear earth. Don't throw it away. You, too, could make magic from garbage someday." 
---A Pig's Tale By Olivia Newton John and Brian Seth Hurst

"Goodnight room. Goodnight moon. Goodnight cow jumping over the moon. Goodnight light, and the red balloon..."
---Goodnight Moon By Margaret Wise Brown

As Meg Ryan's character in the movie, You've Got Mail, Kathleen Kelly says, "When you read a book as a child, it becomes a part of your identity in a way that no other reading in your whole life does." All I would add is when the text poetically rhymes it will stay with your soul. 

Grab a children's rhyming book and read it aloud, listen for the rhythm, play on words, and immediately write your own poem. 

You may write the next best children's book, one that impacts generations. 

When The Answer Is “Not For Us”

By Margaret Brownley

Rejections! Who wants them? Who needs them?

Years ago, I would have answered a resounding “no one!” But after having published twenty-eight books, I now realize the value of that dreaded “not for us” letter. Some of my rejections even turned out to be blessings.

My first historical novel was rejected seventeen times. On the eighteenth try, it sold and it sold big enough to help launch a new publishing line. That wouldn’t have happened had an editor snapped it up during those early submissions. Nor would it have happened had I not kept sending it out.

That experience taught me that rejections can offer second, third and even umpteen chances to try again and get it right. I’ve also learned not to take rejections personally. Even books that went on to win major literary awards were once rejected, some many times. What would have happened had J.K.Rowling given up after Harry Potter’s twelfth rejection?

Books are rejected for numerous reasons, many of which have nothing to do with quality of writing. Years ago, I attended a conference where one of the speakers introduced herself as “The editor who turned down The Thorn Birds.” I even heard an editor admit to rejecting a manuscript because the protagonist had the same name as her ex. Yep, editors are human, too, and they can make mistakes.

Sometimes a rejection simply means the timing is wrong. The market might not be favorable to your particular genre. Many of my published westerns were rejected years earlier because of the market. I waited and when the market turned in my favor, I pounced and my patience paid off.

Sometimes, you have to man-up and admit that some books don’t deserve to be published, even the ones we love. I wrote four books before selling my first and I will be forever grateful that two of them never saw the light of day. I didn’t realize it at the time, but the sad truth is that those two books weren’t worthy of a reader’s attention. The scary part is that had eBooks been available back then, I might have been tempted to self-publish.

So how do you know if a book is good enough for publication? How do you keep going when all the rejections say stop? Sometimes the hardest part of writing is finding an honest critic.

Don’t trust the family member or even a friend who says your book is wonderful. Instead, enter contests. The judges won’t worry about hurting your feelings. If you scores are consistently low, you have work to do.

I once paid a published author (yes paid!) to read the first three chapters of my book. Pay someone to read your manuscript and you’ll get an honest critique. Her comments were brutal, but I took her notes seriously, did the revisions and the book sold the next time out.

Rejections are never fun, but neither are they the end of a story; sometimes they are only the beginning.

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Margaret Brownley is a N.Y. Times bestselling author and Romance Writers of American RITA finalist. She is currently working on her Bridesof Last Chance series. Her latest installment “Waiting for Morning,” book released January 2013 and will be followed in the fall 2013 by “Gunpowder Tea.” 

Margaret can be reached through her website: www.margaretbrownley.com 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Margaret-Brownley

Creating a Marketing Team for Authors

By Susan Reichert, Editor-in-Chief for Southern Writers Magazine

Readers love to hear the author read his or her book. It gives the reader a feeling of being close to the author.  For most readers that will be as close as they will ever be to you.  They listen trying to sense every detail as you read. They make a mental note where you laugh, when you get tense, and even when you sigh.  It draws them into your book–the world you created for your readers.  Most important, it draws that reader into you the author. They are hooked. They will go buy that book and any book you write thereafter.

Now, not only do you pick up that reader as your fan, but that reader is going to market your book and you the author to their friends. They’re going to tell their friends, people they work with, family and yes, they are going to get on their Social Media networks and talk about it.

When you finish reading an excerpt from your book, invite the reader to email you and let you know their thoughts about the book. Tell them you are interested in what they have to say about the book. Several things happen here. You pick up an email address, so when your next book comes out you can email him or her to let them know the release date, a 50-60 word description of the book, and a plus would be to send them a picture of the cover. If you have a blog, invite them to join and guest post telling people what they thought of the book or any part of the book you would like them to mention to peak the other readers curiosity so they will buy your book. You could then ask them to review it on Amazon. You are creating a position for them on your marketing team. Word of mouth is the greatest marketing tool an author can have.

At Southern Writers we created “Take Five” for authors to read excerpts from their book. Visit this link and hear authors read. http://www.southernwritersonline.com/take-five.html. You will agree it draws you into the book as well as the author.  For more information about this tool, email staff@southernwritersmag.com.

The Future of Reading (And Writing)

 By Janice Cantore

Most of the writers I know are like me: they love to read. I vividly remember my first school trip to the library. When looking at shelves filled with all types of books, I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. At the library in college, desks were placed in private areas in the book stacks and that was my favorite place to study, surrounded by books. I even liked the way the book stacks smelled—of bindings and pages and endless possibilities all around. Opening a book and reading a well-told story will always be a pleasurable experience for me.

When e-readers came out, I was hesitant at first. I thought, but I love the feel of the book in my hands! When I got my Kindle, I have to say I came to love the fact that thousands of books would now fit in my purse. Just think, thousands of riveting tales now fit in the palm of my hand! It was amazing and is more so the longer I have the Kindle. But I have run into people who think that the Kindle was the death knell for books, that it and other e-readers brought changes to publishing that have destroyed the business, and things for writers and readers alike will never be the same.

But I think they miss the point. What drives readers and writers alike is a well-told story, a well-written excursion into a fascinating story world. E-readers just open up another avenue. In fact, the digital age may have flamed to life a whole new market for well-written novels. In the Wall Street Journal this week, there was an editorial titled “Howthe Internet Saved the Novel,” (L. Gordon Crovitz, October 15, 2012, 

The author highlights what he calls “digital snacking” and explains how bits of information gathered through text messages, e-mail, social media, etc.; actually throw people out of balance. In the same way that snacking on junk food might make you crave steak, “digital snacking” causes people to crave something more substantial: the well-crafted novel. He says the more than 100,000 novels being published each year in the US and Britain are proof that the digital age has energized the market for books.

Maybe. But there is nothing new under the sun. Well-written stories have always been craved whether the reader snacks or not. And the delivery system matters not at all. Writers know that if you write it well, they will read. It’s a win-win for writers and readers alike.

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 "A retired Long Beach California police officer of 22 years (16 in uniform and 6 as a non-career officer), Janice Cantore worked a variety of assignments, patrol, administration, juvenile investigations and training. During the course of her career in uniform Janice found that faith was indispensable to every aspect of the job and published articles on faith at work, one for a quarterly newspaper called "Cop and Christ", and another for the monthly magazine "Today's Christian Woman". She has a two book suspense series in print she calls Brinna's Heart Series, The Kevlar Heart and A Heart of Justice. She writes suspense novels designed to keep you engrossed and leave you inspired." Amazon -She is the author of the Pacific Coast Justice Series, Accused, Abducted, and  Avenged.

www.janicecantore.com   https://www.facebook.com/JaniceCantore

Writing Time Is Of The Essence

By  Karl Vadaszffy

For most people who write, writing isn’t a full-time job. Most people aren’t fortunate enough to be able to match the success of James Patterson or J.K. Rowling. But that doesn't stop them from striving for publication.

Most of us work a day job and then write when we can. This might be in the evenings, at weekends or, like with me, during holidays. I’m a secondary school teacher – head of English, Media Studies and Drama in Garston, Hertfordshire – so my evenings are typically spent on my school responsibilities: planning lessons, marking students’ work and completing my management duties.

Full of Sin, my first novel, was written over a period of four years – and it’s a short book at only 180 pages. But I think challenges on time aren’t unique to me; they’re faced by most authors. How can you write a novel when you have to work 9AM-5PM? Or, indeed, if you have to work in the evenings as well, as teachers, lawyers and members of many other professions have to?

I wrote a draft of a story – 200 handwritten pages – when I was just 16. When I was 22 years old, I returned to that story and Full of Sin was born. When I was 26, it was published by a small independent press in the north of the UK. It didn't sell well and, looking back on it, there were a number of things we should have done differently, but it was thrilling, after hundreds of rejections, to finally be accepted for publication.

As part of my work at school, I met international bestselling author Sophie Hannah, whose debut novel Little Face is one of my favourite crime novels. She read Full of Sin and enjoyed it, but as a dark drama she realised its market was limited. She advised me to try my hand at writing crime fiction, so I set out to produce a novel in the style of LittleFace. A character is in an extraordinary situation who has to find a way out, which to the reader seems impossible. A police investigation runs concurrently.

My story – John Simmons’ girlfriend goes missing en route to an evening at the theatre in London and when the police investigate they find no evidence that she exists – ended up called The Waiting Game. I was signed up by a top UK agency by a wonderful agent, Sonia Land. She represents, among others, Susan Hill, Peter Ackroyd and Neil White. After working on the novel together, it was retitled The Missing and released by Peach Publishing.

This time the journey from the first word to the final product lasted about two years.

Since its release in June, The Missing has sold almost 40,000 eBooks on Amazon and became a top ten bestseller, peaking at number six. A paperback will be forthcoming, exclusively through Amazon. And because of its success, I was able to rewrite Full of Sin, which has since been rereleased.

The Missing, like Full of Sin, was written during breaks from school. Publicising it has been another important factor – whatever free moment there is in an evening or at a weekend needs to be spent online, working on various social media channels. Social media is, indeed, remarkable in its capability in reaching readers.

So whatever your story if you’re a writer, time is of the essence. Persevere and you can get there. It may take you four months or it may take four years, but it’s always worth it in the end.

____________________________________________________________________

Karl Vadaszffy trained as an English teacher and trained actor at the London Centre for Theatre Studies. He has edited magazines, taught English as a foreign language in Poland and taught English, Media Studies and Drama in secondary schools in England. He is the Head of English, Drama and Media Studies at an Ofsted  in Hertfordshire. Karl currently juggles his teaching responsibilities with work as a freelance journalist. His articles regularly appear in ten industry-leading magazines that cover the automotive, aerospace, technology and travel sectors. His articles are read by over 12,000 subscribers in print, and more online. Karl established The Astley Cooper School’s author visits programme, many bestselling authors including Frederick Forsyth, Jodi Picoult, Sophie Hannah, Peter James, Darren Shan, Joanne Harris, Michael Marshall, Deborah Moggach and Elizabeth Buchan. Karl was a competitive fencer for seven years and a three-time British Epee Champion. He has coached actors in fencing, including Ralph Fiennes and Robson Green, to prepare them for screen roles. www.karlvad.com  https://twitter.com/KarlVad

https://www.facebook.com/karl.vadaszffy

The Value of Encouragement

By Doyne Phillips, Managing Editor for Southern Writers Magazine

“I greet you at the beginning of a great career.”

Walt Whitman struggled to get someone interested in his poetry. He had become discouraged when he received a note of encouragement from someone that possibly gave him what he needed to continue. Encouragement can mean a great deal to one that so desperately needs to hear it. It can also mean a great deal to one that just needs a nudge to continue on.

Talented writers appear to pick up their pen, or word processor, and just let their brilliance flow. We tend to think they write without any concern for acceptance from their readers, agent or publisher when in fact that couldn’t be further from the truth. I think we write to share our thoughts, feelings and desires with the world. In order for us to know this has occurred, we need feedback and encouragement from those we want to share with.

We are not unlike our favorite sports team that we cheer after each successful play, score or win. Encouragement plays a large part in a team’s success. That is why we speak of home team advantage. Home teams enjoy the advantage of a home crowd and the positive encouragement of their fans. It feeds their motivation, their drive and their success.   

I can only imagine the encouragement Walt Whitman felt when he read the following note penned to him. “Dear Sir, I am not blind to the worth of the wonderful gift of Leaves of Grass.  I find it the most extraordinary piece of wit and wisdom that America has yet contributed. I greet you at the beginning of a great career.” signed Ralph Waldo Emerson. Without this wonderful note from Emerson would Whitman have continued? We may never know. But we do know what did occur.

What is the value of encouragement? It may be found in the value of a Walt Whitman and his poetry. 

As we remember our need for encouragement let’s remember to encourage others in their endeavors. The right words from the right person may indeed bring us the next great poet or writer. I can only imagine hearing from someone I hold in high esteem, “I greet you at the beginning of a great career.”   

Writing as Part of the Solution…not Part of the Problem

By Kathi Macias

When it comes to qualifying as a “Southern writer,” I fly just under the radar, since I hang my hat in Southern California. But throughout the many years of my writing career, I’ve made several forays into the “real” South and have developed a serious love affair with the people who so readily personify Southern hospitality.

I have also come to honor and respect one Southern lady in particular, though she’s long-since gone on to her heavenly reward (which, no doubt, is extensive). That lady is Harriet Tubman. Most historians put Harriet’s birth-date as 1820, though when she entered the world on the eastern shore of the state of Maryland, she was actually named Araminta, or Minty. She didn’t take on her mother’s name of Harriet until some years later.

So what’s a Southern California girl like me doing writing about a Southern slave woman, particularly since I’m known for writing primarily contemporary fiction? Because the contemporary fiction I write is centered around social issues. My most recent release, TheMoses Quilt, is no exception. The Moses Quilt is the story about a contemporary interracial romance, where the young woman in the relationship has serious misgivings about marrying the man she loves because of secrets in her family’s past. The Moses Quilt is also the story of a slave girl, born penniless and growing up under horrible conditions, with no hope of ever obtaining an education, let alone her freedom. And yet, because of her deep faith in God and the courage she drew from that faith, this poverty-stricken, illiterate young girl became one of the most accomplished and admired women in America’s history.

I am a strong believer that our yesterdays are relevant to our todays, and also to our tomorrows—hence, the telling of a contemporary story against a historical backdrop. This is a lesson the two young people in TheMoses Quilt—Edward and Mazie—begin to learn as they study the life and accomplishments of Harriet Tubman. The woman overcame nearly insurmountable obstacles because she believed that what she was doing was right, and that God Himself had called her to do it. Not only Edward and Mazie’s lives can be changed by understanding that powerful principle, but the readers’ lives as well.

This is a hugely important factor for writers of any genre to grasp, and we must effectively portray it for our readers. I feel called to write more than nice, entertaining stories (though I hope my novels are that); I also believe I have a responsibility to convey a message through my writing. The question is whether that message will be positive or negative. Since I believe it is important to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem, my message must be a positive one.

The contemporary story of The Moses Quilt takes readers from the primary setting of San Francisco to the quaint little town of Gee’s Bend, Alabama, where African-American folk have established a community that produces the most amazingly beautiful quilts to be found anywhere in the world. At the same time, the historical aspect of the book takes readers on a journey through the incredibly difficult but ultimately triumphant life and times of Harriet Tubman, a woman with a tender heart and an iron will, who even today influences others with her positive message of faith and courage. The writing of this book has made Harriet Tubman one of my own personal heroes, and it has also become my very favorite “visit” into the heart and soul of America’s beautiful and beloved South.

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Kathi Macias is the multi-award-winning author of 40 books, including the 2011 Golden Scrolls Novel of the Year and Carol Award Finalist, Red Ink. Kathi and her husband, Al, live in Southern California, where she is affectionately known as “Easy Writer.”  www.kathimacias.com