10 Things Writers Need To Stop Doing

December 28, 2015 / Caitlin Stern / 14 Comments

I saw this and thought it was so true. Write on, people. Write on!

I’m going to be brief and to the point today. This is a message for every writer out there, myself included. You need to stop…

…Defining success by number of book sales.

…Pressuring yourself to always write well.

…Assuming no one wants to read your work.

…Writing what everyone else is writing just to feed the market.

…Doubting your own talent, skills, and dedication.

…Equating a missed quota or wordless day with failure.

…Getting pulled down by bad reviews or negative criticism.

…Paying attention to unwarranted opinions on what you should or shouldn’t write.

…Trying to write stories and characters that will please everyone.

…Finding excuses to not get back to work and finish that story.

You’re better than all of that. Keep calm and write on, friend.

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Mylar Bows: A Poem About Holiday Memories

December 24, 2015 / Marcia Meara / 2 Comments

Christmas memories from my good friend and editor, Caitlin. Wishing you all many bows tomorrow! 🙂

caitlinsternwrites

Happy Holidays, whatever you celebrate! May your celebration be exactly what you want, and your traditions what you treasure!

Some family traditions of mine are more tolerated than enjoyed–like my family’s fondness for sticking bows to me. A few years ago, I ended up with a total of nine–nine!–bows stuck in a sort of necklace on my jacket.

Mylar Bows

When I was small

I ripped into presents, paper flying everywhere

green and red

the thrill of discovery

worth more than the gift.

And my mom stuck a bow—

shiny mylar crown—in my hair.

Now I unwrap neatly

folding the remnants responsibly

for recycling

focused on the company instead.

Despite my dodging, ending after all

with a bow on my head

because to parents, you never grow up no

matter how old you are.

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#WodinsDaySmile – Kindle vs Print

December 23, 2015 / Marcia Meara / 13 Comments

The debate continues.

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#WodinsDaySmile – We Can All Use One, Right?

December 16, 2015 / Marcia Meara / 14 Comments

And who among us can’t relate to THIS?

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How to Write a Novel That Will Actually Be Worthy of Publishing

December 13, 2015 / Linda Lee / 1 Comment

The common thread that authors share…

Flaws: A Poem About Personality

December 10, 2015 / Marcia Meara / 3 Comments

A lovely poem from Caitlin, today. Just had to share with you.

caitlinsternwrites

A lot of my favorite gems have inclusions, flaws, etc. They catch the light from the inside instead of throwing out light like a faceted clear stone.

Image from WikiMedia by Mauro Cateb.

Flaws

We’re all a little broken

precious stones whose fractures catch

the light

wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could be

pure clear perfect

gems

and yet the flaws make us

and we’re beautiful

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Don’t Forget! #DeBaryHallHistoricSite #MeetTheFloridaAuthors

December 10, 2015 / Marcia Meara / Leave a comment

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DeBary Hall Historic Site will be hosting a “Meet The Author” event this Saturday, 12/12/15 from 10:30am – 2pm. The event will include local author Bill Belleville, an accomplished writer whose book The Peace of Blue, won a Florida Book Award; Roger Fulton, a naturalist and outdoor writer; Marcia Meara, the author of Swamp Ghosts and a number of other popular novels; Jim Robison, retired reporter and editor and author of 11 books about Central Florida history; and Ed Winn, author of a number of books about Central Florida’s history and folk stories, including his research and writing on the ancient tribes of Florida. ‪#‎MeetTheAuthor‬ ‪#‎FloridaAuthors‬ ‪#‎OrlandoAuthors‬ ‪#‎OrlandoEvents‬ ‪#‎DeBaryEvents‬ ‪#‎DeBaryHall‬ The authors will discuss, sign and sell their works in the site’s 19th century hunting lodge. The event is free.

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#WodinsDaySmile

December 9, 2015 / Marcia Meara / 2 Comments

*Grin*

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Come Say Hi! #MeetTheAuthor #DeBaryHall

December 4, 2015 / Marcia Meara / 5 Comments

Meet the Authors at DeBary Hall

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DeBary Hall Historic Site, 198 Sunrise Blvd., will host a free “Meet the Authors” event from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12. Five Central Florida authors will discuss, sign and sell their works in the site’s 19th century hunting lodge.

Participating authors will include:

BILL BELLEVILLE: A Maryland native specializing in nature and conservation. He has written seven creative nonfiction books, including River of Lakes: A Journey on Florida’s St. Johns River and Losing it All to Sprawl. He also has contributed to nine national anthologies and authored more than 1,000 articles and essays. Belleville has traveled overseas as a writer for the Discovery Channel and scripted documentaries for NPR and PBS.

ROGER FULTON: A naturalist and outdoor writer who has published several successful management books and a series of trail guides for Florida, New York and Vermont. His definitive publication, Safe in the Woods, offers outdoor safety and survival tips.

MARCIA MEARA: Marcia published a book of poetry and her first novel, Wake-Robin Ridge, at age 69. Since then she has published three more novels – Swamp Ghosts, A Boy Named Rabbit, and Finding Hunter. Her philosophy is that it’s never too late to follow your dream.

JIM ROBISON: A retired reporter and editor who has written 11 books and more than 1,600 newspaper columns about Central Florida history. He is chairman of the Seminole County Historical Commission, a past present of the Sanford Historical Society, and a board member of the Friends of Wekiva River and the Seminole County Historical Society.

ED WINN: A retired insurance executive who has published many books about Central Florida’s history and folk stories. They include My Florida Soul: Florida History with Humor, Thank You, Lord, for Laughter, and I Never Had Enough Money to Leave Town. Winn has given talks across the state about his research and writings on the ancient tribes of Florida.

Works of other local authors also will be displayed and sold at the event.

Reservations are not required. For more information contact Kayce Looper at 386-668-3840 or klooper@volusia.org.

(NOTE: I’ll be there for the entire event, so stop by if you’re in the area. Would love to meet you!)