Monday, November 28, 2011

Collected Words from Writers of the Southern Coast

The book, Collected Words from Writers of the Southern Coast, showcases short stories, essays and poems selected as winners in the 2011 Baldwin Writers Group Contest. My essay, Dimes and Quarters took 3rd place in the essay contest.
December 17, from 10 to noon, authors will be at the Daphne Library (AL) for a reading/signing. The public is welcome to attend. Hope to see you there.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Essay published

I'm excited because my essay Dimes and Quarters has just been published in Collected Words from Writers of the Southern Coast. It's available on Amazon.com.
Just wanted to share the good news.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Giving Thanks

We often give thanks for big things,
But tend to forget the small.
Yet they may turn out to be
The most significant of all.

So, thank you, Jesus, for all of these:
The neighbor who puts my paper at my door;
The speeding ticket I wasn't issued;
The compliment from a stranger at the grocery store.

The phone call from an old friend
Just when the day was going all wrong,
The car that barely missed hitting mine,
Cheery lyrics of a song.

The rain that didn't fall
When I had a picnic planned,
And the warm and happy feeling
When a child reached for my hand.

But most of all my gratitude
Should be the silent prayer:
I thank you, my dear Jesus,
For always being there.

Mary S. Palmer 11/6/11

Monday, November 7, 2011

About writing and writer's block

Through my many years of writing, I have found that if you treat it as any other job, a lot more gets done. I work best if I get fully dressed and schedule a block of time, maybe even 9 to 5, with breaks. It helps me stay focused. Because I plan to write a minimum of 2,000 words for each session, I can't allow myself the luxury of "writer's block." So, I just type away, determined to get words down on paper.

That doesn't mean I use all that I type. Later, I revise, and revise, and revise, and polish it all up.

I know this won't work for everybody--different folks have different strokes--but it's just a suggestion that works for me.

5 Published books - 2 soon to be released with MUSA--TIME WILL TELL (Sci-Fi) and TO CATCH A FISH (novel)