Mary S. Palmer
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Monday, November 3, 2014
Success Breeds Success
How do you win a contest? The first requirement is to enter
it. However, some fear the disappointment of rejection so much, they won't try.
Failure is heartbreaking and if you don't try, you don't risk suffering
disillusionment, but you also deny yourself the chance of winning and
experiencing the elation of success.
I recently entered a contest in a new genre of writing, the
first contest of its type in the world. It deals with Tourism Writing and it
started in my home state of Alabama. Patrick Miller is the founder and the
concept is to write fiction using real places and inserting photographs and
links to interest tourists in visiting the highlighted locations. The first
place featured was Moundville, Alabama; the second was DeSoto State Park at
Lookout, Alabama; and the third was Mobile, Alabama, where I reside.
Entrants must focus on a particular place or event. I chose
Mardi Gras, giving its history, and stressing its family-friendly atmosphere.
Using the point of view of a masker riding a float enabled me to show how
people from all walks of life—from former members of the royal court to the
homeless and physically challenged—enjoy catching moon pies, beads and other
trinkets. It's a great equalizer as attendees at parades, adults and children,
end up scrambling for grabs they often share with others.
My entry, Raisin'
Cain, won first place. The Alabama Tourism Department co-sponsored the
contest and the prize was $500.00. The story is posted on the internet. The big
thrill, though, was Congressman Bradley Byrne coming to the Mobile Carnival
Museum for the Awards Presentation to present a plaque to me October 15, 2014.
He also made a comment in the House of Representatives entitled Highlighting the Value of Tourism through
Literature (September 18, 2014). This becomes a permanent part of the
Congressional Record. In it, he mentions that I won the 2014 Southeastern
Literary Tourism Initiative Tourism Writing Contest and that Dr. Sue Walker is
currently teaching tourism writing to several of her English classes at the
University of South Alabama. He suggests incorporating tourism writing into
other college courses in all states.
This new genre has another spin-off. It can boost the
economy in an area. When people read about places that interest them, they
often decide to visit. Tourists spend money. Also, if enough people discover attractions
that intrigue them, places become considered tourist destinations. But that
only happens if they hear or read about those things; otherwise, they'll never
know they exist.
I am happy that my story won this contest and the $500
prize. I am happier that it can lead to bigger things by promoting a
challenging, innovative category of writing while boosting the economy.
I hope others will consider this and enter writing contests.
If you don't try, you can't win. Better yet, if you win once, you may win
again. Success breeds success.
Mary S. Palmer
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Upcoming Spooky Month - Anticipation
The end of October
Is a time for fear
That all the children
Hold very dear.
They don their costumes
And get their sacks
To trick or treat
And bring candy back.
That night they eat
Until they're stuffed
And go to bed
With stomach puffed.
With dreams of goblins
Filling their heads
They toss and turn
While in their beds.
It's all in fun
And the next day
Fear has gone
Quite far away.
Is a time for fear
That all the children
Hold very dear.
They don their costumes
And get their sacks
To trick or treat
And bring candy back.
That night they eat
Until they're stuffed
And go to bed
With stomach puffed.
With dreams of goblins
Filling their heads
They toss and turn
While in their beds.
It's all in fun
And the next day
Fear has gone
Quite far away.
Monday, August 11, 2014
Play-ONE LIFE, MUCH INFLUENCE
My play will be produced at St. Dominic's Murphy Center, October 11, 2014. It is the life of Msgr. Francis Murphy who has served the Diocese of Mobile over sixty years. The dinner theater, sponsored by the Knights of Columbus, is being held to contribute to the support of seminarians.
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Alabama Writers'
Conclave
The Alabama
Writers' Conclave was held in the quaint, artsy town of Fairhope last weekend,
July 11-13. It hosted people from all over Alabama and some from Tennessee,
Mississippi and other states. For the first time, I had the honor to attend.
In her
introduction, Jeanie Thompson, Founding Director, Alabama Writers Forum,
pointed out that Alabama was twenty-third in funding for the arts. That's a
good position. Other speakers included presentations on both prose and poetry,
fiction and non-fiction and play writing. All were impressive but one point
that stuck with me was literary agent Katharine Sands' statement that all
novels need a person, a place and a pivot. Having all three start with a
"p" makes it easy to remember.
Other speakers
included the passionate Michael Martone, witty Jim Murphy, amusing T.K. Thorne
and Linda Busby Parker, and Scott Wilkerson, Barry Marks, Terri French and
Keynote Speaker Pulitzer Prize Winner Rick Bragg, Rob Gray, Susan Luther, P.T.
Paul, all who gave eloquent and informative presentations.
President Sue
Walker and Vice President P.T. Paul made sure everything, including the food,
was first class. If you didn't learn something from the experience, you weren't
listening. One particular thing I learned would have justified attending. It
was simple, it was obvious, but it took a new reader to spot an easy change
that may make the difference in whether my mystery novel is accepted for
publication. When I read the opening paragraph, the speaker suggested moving
one sentence to the top and opening the novel with that line. I could then see that
sentence as the grabber which would set the scene and the tone for the entire
book.
Such conferences are truly worthwhile. As one speaker
pointed out, you may not be told anything you don't already know, but we don't
always do what we know we should. And we forget. Reminders serve us well. These
events do, too. They also reinforce our belief that we can write and encourage
us to write on and write right. We may have a message only we can give to the
world.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
I'm taking on a new challenge by teaching a Contemporary Literature class this summer. The five week course will be at Huntingdon College at the Daphne, Alabama campus. It should be very interesting and a change from any other English classes I've taught in the past, including Creative Writing.
Since my science-fiction novel QUESTION OF TIME (a sequel to TIME WILL TELL) is being released May 9, 2014 and the third book of the trilogy, TIME WAS, will be released September 9, 2014, I'll also be busy promoting those. I have two other books under consideration with a publisher, too. It keeps me busy, but we always find time for what we really want to do.
May Be New
The month of May
May bring new challenges,
And opportunities.
The showers of April
And its storms
Are long gone.
Flowers begin to bloom
And sparks of new life
Are evident, too.
All should forget the past
And take advantage
Of new chances.
Use challenges to change.
Benefit from
Life renewing itself.
May bring new challenges,
And opportunities.
The showers of April
And its storms
Are long gone.
Flowers begin to bloom
And sparks of new life
Are evident, too.
All should forget the past
And take advantage
Of new chances.
Use challenges to change.
Benefit from
Life renewing itself.
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