On becoming a Writer...

When did you decide to be a writer and What inspired you to become a writer? :

I say you learn to write in the second grade and after that it's all editing.

Actually when I was a junior in high school, the English/math/PE teacher asked me to write a musical and eventhough I had never been to the theater or seen a musical, I did it. The musical was a hit so I did it again the next year and I have been doing it every chance I get since. All that simply because a teacher believed I could.

I never considered myself a writer until the late seventies when I sent an article to MS Magazine and they published it. I bought an electric typewriter with the money and decided to become a writer. Sometimes I wonder if I took that first publication too seriously.
smile

I've been writing since I was a teen - but was a "closet writer" for years before I had enough faith in my work to even SHOW it to anyone! But my serious writing began when I retired from working full-time. I got a computer and discovered the venue of ezines - submitted some of my poetry and short stories and they were well-received. That inspired me to try what I'd "secretly" always wanted to do which was write my own mystery novel. I guess I'd held it all inside so long that it was really "ready" to be written because it only took me three months to write it.

In answer to the question WHY I became a writer - it was not only to express some of my inner feelings in a creative way....but also perhaps to prove something to myself.

I began my writing career when my Daddy got sick and was diagnosed with Lewy-Body Dementia. The medical community was uninformed about this new dementia, as was the general public. So I decided to develop a brochure for families that were faced with LBD. After I did, I gave them to families I knew needed the information, and word got around I had literature on the disease. The State of Ala asked to have it, so I gave it to them to put on file.

Then I felt the need to speak out more and wrote an article on it, sent it in to a local magazine. Two days later they called and wanted to print it. AND PAY ME! I said to myself, "People get paid to do this?" hm... They also asked if I had anything else. I lied and said, "oh yeah, plenty." They said send it in for review. I said, "huh?" So I quickly sat down at lunch, wrote about what I had done that very day, which was overeating at a buffet. "Puffy, the Buffet Slayer." They asked for more and the next thing I know, I'm writing for them monthly. Now I am their beloved humorist. Uh huh...sure am. Beloved. That's me all right. Every month they say, "Hey..girlfriend..we would LOVE for you to get your stuff here on time, k?" SEE?

After relaxing with this gig, I ventured out into the internet and entered my Lunch Hour Specials into contest, other writing sites, etc. I picked up another column at Universal Publications, but after about six months, I dropped that column. I didn't like having to beg to get paid.

They say that everyone has a talent. I've always wondered what my niche was in the world, and now I feel that it's writing. Some would argue that I'm wrong and need to stick with budget analyses...Like my boss. HA! Fat chance...

I live, breathe and eat a lot when I'm writing and I would rather be writing than doing anything in this entire world. I write so much my family is gun-shy about talking to me. Nothing is sacred either. If my Mom calls and says, "you know, my hemmroids are killing me...she usually adds, AND DON'T YOU GO WRITING ABOUT IT EITHER!" Of course I make her no guarantees...

Soooo...in closing I just want to thank everybody who made this possible...I did win something, right?

JJ

I began writing in earnest around the age of 32. I wanted to make a difference, make my voice known and create something of value.

With God's help, I think I have and to Him goes the glory!

I was an author before I became a writer. I've always done everything backward

Dianne,
Help me out here...how does one become an author before they are a writer? Yes, I'm partially blonde...why do you ask?

JJ

Smilinize- great to know a teacher believed in you! I bet that alone has made a big difference!

Pam- closet writer... and a mystery novel in just 3 months!!! Wow, girl. Good going!

JJ-Writing about your father's disease... Have you considered writing a book about that disease altogether? If there isn't much info in a handy format, a book would definitely help so many! And I loved your article-"Puffy, the buffet slayer"

Toni- "writing to make a difference" ... so inspiring; "giving God the glory", wonderful response!

Dianne- "Author before writer"? I too need help grasping this one... please, help us out.

Looking back... I've always loved to write,but never dreamed I'd become a writer. I wrote a few poems as a teenager (Closet writer too). After that, through life's ups and downs... Many times felt the urge to write, but resisted it... I never wanted to write sad and/or negative experiences and/or feelings.

I slowly got back into writing due to my leadership in church: As the need arose for a variety of programs and different materials, I started writing youth and adult material that I used; as well as poetry and eventually many songs.

Still, did not consider myself a writer.

After some time, pastors, friends, church members, etc., urged me to make my writing available to them and others.

Now, I'm commited to this work. I have a purpose. Writing to inspire is my goal. Praising God for what he's done for me, in me, and through me is what fuels me. All I've done, or will ever be able to do, I owe it to my Lord!

Words can build or destroy. I pray my words help build a better world, for the glory of God.

[ July 26, 2004, 01:53 PM: Message edited by: Songbird ]

You know...Ms Evie needs to be in here. She just completed a book she wrote as a fund raiser for her church. She sent me and a few others her book and girls, it is soooo nice. So professional looking too. Course I expected that from Ms E...that's her style. It's poems and inspirational stories.

Songbird, you need to talk to Evie when she gets back from vacation. You could share ways to express yourself thru your writing and you might want to do the same thing for your church she did. Wouldn't that be cool?

JJ

I'm online to avoid work - as usual - so I thought I would answer for Dianne. Hey, she's probably somewhere ""Working"".

A while back, I printed business cards for my critique group. I put everyone's title as what they dreamed of being.

Some were poets, some were playwrights, etc. At first I put the title "Writer" on those with no specialty, but I changed it to "Author" because someone pointed out thaht all the members were published and a writer writes while an Author 'has written' and most important 'been published.'

I would say both Dianne and I were published before we considered ourselves writers. Someone else decided I was an author. I write a lot, but I'm still not sure I am a writer. Semantics I suppose.
smile

Queen: That is a great idea. Thanks! I look forward to meeting Ms. Evie

Smilinize, thanks for your explanation.

[ July 26, 2004, 02:00 PM: Message edited by: Songbird ]

Well, mine is a simple story really. I was in advertising sales a good portion of my life and had to make-up and layout ad copy that would attract the reader to buy or visit whatever the case may be. I also began doing phone sex and the company said my stories were magical and my call back rate was extraordinary so I began writing a newsletter of sexual stories that when mailed to callers and other customers would rev them up and make them call in. It was a smash success. I never thougt of writing anything else until I saw a contest for a Mystery and entered, and won. I took a writing test for Long Ridge Writers School and was accepted. I am now 64 (yikes, I am??) and began writing seriously at age 61. I do psyhological thrillers, health and nutrition articles and have a completed cook-book. I play around with poems as well. I want to do a childrens book illustrated by my dear friend and cousin Lala..she is a major artistic talent.....

Chatty, I'm with dotsie. You have to write those sex stories into a book. There is an epidemic of loneliness in America and it is not just among single or elderly folks either. You could call attention to the loneliness among married men and do a lot of good.
Besides it would be exciting. I would buy a copy for srue.
smile

Ok, here's my confession of a closet writer. I was raised on a college campus ans was alway intrigued by the arrangement of words and their varying meanings. Finally, in high school, I let it all out. During English assignment that required creative thinking/writing, my stories were always anticipated most. I loved writing twisted and emotional and even humorous stories. The emotional ones, unfortunately were based on many true personal experiences.

Soon, many of my classmates would come to me and ask just how I came up with stories like I could, so easily, quick. I'd just smile and cringe within knowing the real reason was that I'd somehow experienced what these interesting characters they loved/hated so much were very close.

I started keeping a diary. Sometimes I would revisit some of the issues in them. The entries were difficult for me to read. They were surreal alomst. Many were like reading what someone else had written about a girl far away somewhere.

I got married. My husband and I were sitting on my bed when he noticed my little red book sticking from benaeth my mattress. He did not respect my privacy and faught very had to get it from me. He would have divorced me for sure had he actually gotten the opportunity to read it (in hindsight, that wouldnt have been a bad thing, LOL)

We were getting ready to leave for a flight out of state the day he attempted to disrespect my wishes to read it. We were running late. I ran back inside of my house pretending to have left something. I went out the back way and set the book on fire. The pages wouldnt burn fast enough.

I had to stomp it out and take it back inside, then run back out to leave. It was years before I'd return back there where my diary was.

My brother told me that my grandmother was curious about some of the chain of events that took place in my life. He said that she opened the book, read and cried for hours and then some. He said that he had to take it from her and plead with her to get some rest and never open it again. I asked him to finish burning it for me. To my knowledge, he did.

Since then, I always felt like I was deprived all of the vital details describing my emotions as I lived the traumatic life. A teacher that had no control over my situation told me to do journal these experiences. She was the head of the fine arts dept on campus.

I cried when I thought about all that my grandmother had to endure as she found the details of what I'd experienced. I know that she must have felt guilty and very sad. I wish that she was here so that I could tell her that I didnt tell her the details because I loved her too much and I knew that she loved me too much and it would have only hurt her, maybe fatally with her diabetic condition.

Since she is no longer living, I would like to finish this life long book because the one that would have suffered will not now.

Wish me luck! I'm writing away on my first novel, finally!

Sugaree

JJ- Where is Evie?

Sugaree: I wish you the best with your book. Seems you've been through so much Does writing help you heal?

Chatty: Is it true? Do men turn to phone sex cause they are sooo lonely? How is your book coming along?

Songbird,
I forgot to mention that Evie is on vacation! She is, however, checking her email from time to time...so go ahead and write to her. I replied to your private message with the details, k?

Hugs,

JJ

Yuhoooooo....mouth of the south here!

LALA pic is on the picture page! Another boomer beauty has been added!!!!!!

I've got to ask ya...is this not the most lovely, inteligent looking women you ever did lay your peepers on or what?

whoooo hooooo! Boomers rule! <especially da Queen...teehee>

JJ

JJ: Thanks for the message. Thanks for telling us about Lala's picture. Another beautiful boomer!

When did I know I was a writer? I always knew, I just hid it for a long time. I didn't get a lot of support as a child. I was told to find something else to do with my life because writing wouldn't be a good career.

I ended up becoming a computer programmer who didn't like to program. So, I used my skills to become a technical writer. I finally found my niche. I wrote computer user manuals for nearly 15 years until I let the fiction bug bite me good and hard. I retired from tech writing around 1999 and started writing fiction. I had my first novel published in 2001. I haven't turned back and my 3rd novel was published in Jan of 2004.

I write women's fiction and enjoy the room to stretch my characters. Especially the strong women lead characters.

Peace.

Vicky: Isn't that great? You always knew you were a writer! Well, seems like you're an expert author, girl . Good going!

Maybe you can share some tricks of the trade with those of us who are just starting to travel the writing path, huh? Pretty please?

JJ- I e-mailed you. Thanks!!!

Songbird.. what would you like to know? Do you have any specific questions? I'd be happy to share any info I have and tell you about my experiences.

You can also e-mail me privately if you'd prefer not to have your questions in public. I don't mind. I like helping out beginning writers.

[ July 27, 2004, 04:53 PM: Message edited by: Vicki M. Taylor ]

I was surfing the web, and saw a magazine for women in ministry that looked interesting. When I saw they had a page with the writers' guidlines on it, I checked it out. One of the topics sounded interesting. I thought, I can write about that! So I did. Never tried to submit anything before that.

A couple weeks later, a couple started attending our church, and the woman mentioned she was a writer and moderated an on-line group. Don mentioned I had tried my hand at it (Boy was I experienced! LOL!) and she invited me to come to iVillage and check the group out.

That's when I realized what a long shot it was to have something published! Just when I thought what a fool I'd been, I got a letter of acceptance along with a contract in the mail! I jumped around like a maniac all over the house.

That was in January, 2003. The article came out in June, 2003, and I've been plugging away ever since. I'm so thankful to God I don't have to make a living at it!

I started writing for children last summer, and that is so much fun.

I'm having a ball. And writers (or authors! ) are the nicest people in the world.

Donna

Songbird and everyone else wanting me to write a sex book. I did, and had a publisher who especally ordered the 8 short stories that were in the book, all S & M. The book was finished to be sent in when the publisher wrote me an email to say they were no longer able to pay expenses and going out of business. I was devistated. I had worked so hard and the book was perfection, (not my words here!) Well, I had an illness recently that took away my sight and I promised God that if he gave me back my sight I would never again write smut or talk on the phone about sex. To answer your question, about 78% of all my phone sex clients were married men, some were happily married too. Strange but true. To get back to my promise. I destroyed my book and anything I had in the computer and I quit my phone sex job all in the same day.....My vision is as good as new and I am greatful and will not look back. As it is now, I have a great new job and hope to be as successful at it as I was on the phones. So you can see why there will be no sex book in my future.....I never break a promise.

Chatty,
You will be blessed by your decision and by your actions. Knowing God inside your spirit changes you and if you felt bad about the phone sex and the sex book, then it was not right and you should never again do it.
God will bless you for respecting his child (you).
In the Bible God SPOKE the world into existence. And in the beginning was the WORD and the WORD was God and the WORD was with God. That must mean that WORDS are very important.
The words you SAY are very important, but they go into the air or over the phone lines and are gone. But the words you WRITE survive even your life on earth so they are even more important.
In the original language of the Bible, the same "word" was used to mean both word and spirit. So if your words are your spirit and those words survive you, then in some ways your written words are your eternal spirit. And if not eternal, at least they survive your physical body.

I think God created sex and He loves it when we find joy in it, but when it is corrupted, it must make him sad.
I am thankful for your newfound joy which I believe will be a "serendipitous" blessing in that it came from what appeared to be a curse.
Love, Peace, and Joy will find you.
smile

Chatty: I applaud your decision and will pray that God will help you stay true to it.

God bless you and bless others through your writing!

Chatty, I'm just grateful that you are well whether you write, take calls or anything else!

If the men were happy, why did they say they were using phone sex? Asking because a woman on my site found out her husband had been cruising porn sites on the Internet and she's fit to be tied! Do they get bored?

Yes, a couple of you were right. I didn't sit down to write a book. I sat down to write about my experiences to help other women who were staying in our local shelter. A miracle took place. That's how I became an author...when Louise Hay published me. My editor called it a fluke but I called it a miracle!

It's wonderful to read all of your stories.

Donna: Interesting story. Wow! You did it right from the beginnig, girl!!

I don't submit regularly, thou I am looking for new soruces. Mostly, cause I was providing my local church of much needed material. 2003-2004 I submitted a number of devotionals for a women's devoional book, written by women. 7 of them will be published in the yearly book to be used during 2005-It should be in print fall 2004. The rest, they keep, to be used in a future devotional book.

I wrote musicals in high school and in my twenties I wrote grant proposals which got me a great job in D.C. I wrote legislation and business plans and administered $39 million in grants. In my spare time I published magazine articles, produced plays, and wrote for national television.
Then I decided to get a graduate degree in writing. My thesis was a play. During the thesis process, it was previewed and it got a backer, which had never happened before, and it was performed to sold out crowds. It was on television and radio. The thesis committee hated it. They required me to rewrite it ten times. I destroyed the play. I never allowed it to be produced again.
My writing has been broken ever since. I can't seem to get anything good enough and I no longer send things off. Maybe I don't take the risk now because my kids are gone and I don't have to make every penny I can. Or maybe I have nothing to say. Or maybe too much time to think about it. Or maybe I have simply been there, done that, and I'm resting. Who knows?

I wonder if I am called by God to write or by simply want an ego trip. I'm working on this. Any ideas?
smile

If you ask me, and you didn't, I think you would make one heck of a LIFE COACH. Just my 5 cents worth. I'm a Queen, I get more...

JJ

I always struggled with the "ego thing" too. But, I just kept writing and told God that if it was my ego, let me know somehow. I also pray before I write that God will help me to get my old ego out of the way. It makes for honest writing! I think that because we're writers we have the tendency to go inward too much and question everything. I'd say just keep writing and let it happen because it will.

Smile, I agree with JJ that you'd make a great life coach.

Smile, I'm kinda new to this field but...

My very personal opinion regarding your motives or reason for writing: That's something only you and God know .

Do you feel your purpose as a writer has been accomplished?

I've read that a writer should strive to write something every day. But... it doesn't mean that if you don't write daily you're not a writer.

Writing could be like any other hobbies: In my case, I have not done any crochet for some time. I still love it and will go back to it any time. The same goes for flower arranging and other crafts I love. But each activity gives me insights and helps me grow in one way or another.

Maybe you need to give yourself some time... Maybe a change in scenery helps. Don't give up on yourself or your work. Stay positive! I'm sure the muse will pay you a visit when you least expect !!! NEVER GIVE UP!

By the way, you have a great website! And from other threads I gather that you have your husband's support in this. That is a blessing!

Hope this helps a bit.
I'm sure the experienced writers will have much more to offer.

Thank you Songbird. Your words do help.
As writers, do we have a choice? It seems as if we are compelled to write just as painters are compelled to paint and crafters are compelled to craft. Maybe we are all created to "create." God created us in His image and He is the great creator. ??

I've always heard that one should write to express, rather than to impress. When I submitted my thesis and began the editing required by the thesis committee, for the first time I had to write to impress.
Now with submiting my work, I would have to write to impress and I fear it. I'm not sure anything I have to say is that impressive anyway, especially after I have edited it in an attempt to get it good enough to submit to someone I have to impress. ??
smile

Smile:

I totally agree with you on creating. Our Creator gave us the capacity to "create", in a smaller scale, of course. Only He can create something out of nothing.

It's up to us to use it for His glory or not.

I understand your point of view in writing to impress (publishers and so on...)

Maybe if you view if differently... as writing to "touch" , instead of "impress" it'll help?

And then, remember that for everything there is a process that must be followed. If we want to get published in certain publication, we must follow their guidelines and comply.

The way I see it, as long as it is not in conflict with my beliefs, as long as it will not dishonor my Creator, as long as my words can touch someone and/or inspire them in some positive way... it might be worth it!

I know how awful it is to have to start over when you know you've done your best(crafting is a teacher)!

I guess, as writers, we need to understand that just because a publisher wants it a certain way, doesn't mean our original work isn't good. It just doesn't serve their purpose or agenda at the time ? What doesn't work for one, may very well be "just what the Dr. ordered" for another.

Don't be so harsh on yourself and don't doubt that God gave you a wonderful gift!

Happy writing!

quote:

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Originally posted by Sugaree:
Smile, I agree with JJ that you'd make a great life coach.

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Sugaree and JJ, Are you guys smoking something?

Wait a minute... What am I saying? Of course I can be a life coach. I could send you guys out there to get tackled and I could sit on the bench and yell directions. If things worked out, I could carry the trohpy.

I'm getting into this life coach thingy. Yep. I could do it.
smile