So not only did you teach me about writing memoir, you also taught me about reading and thinking about how others write memoir. Thank you so much! Rebecca

Accepting what is to come

You can’t change the direction of the wind, but you can adjust your sails.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Electronic Submissions Class for Writers by Robert S. King


Times they are a'changing said the singer in the sixties, but he didn't know nuthin' about changes.
Changes in the publishing world are occurring so fast we can hardly keep up with them. One of those changes for writers and poets is the way we submit our work to magazines and journals. 

Gone are the days when we made copies, addressed envelopes to send in our work and envelopes to return our work. Now, we submit online without printing a page. But different publications use different methods of submission. We often refrain from submitting if we have to deal with learning a new process. 

That is why I am glad we have Robert S. King, a publisher, poet and editor with the expertise to teach us this new technology. Robert stays abreast of what is new, and he is teaching a class at Moss Memorial Library in Hayesville, NC. See the details below.

Robert S. King  Moss Memorial Library, Hayesville, NC - Saturday, April 20  -  10 -1:00 p.m.  $30.00
Mail check to Writers Circle, 581 Chatuge Lane, Hayesville, NC 28904 -

Most publishers today allow electronic submissions, either by dedicated software online or by email. Learn how to use the most popular online systems and also how to compose email
submissions with or without file attachments. In addition, you will discover how to use the most popular market lists so that you can identify the magazines or publishers best suited for your writing.

About the Instructor
Robert S. King is a widely published poet and editor. He is the
author of six poetry collections, the latest of which is One Man’s
Profit (Sweatshoppe Publications, 2013) and is the former
Director of FutureCycle Press and the former President of the
Georgia Poetry Society.
See his website at www.robertsking.com

Call 828-389-4441 for registration information. Send your registration now. Note that it is for Robert King class.

Friday, March 8, 2013

Read Robert S. King's post on three good ways to promote yourself

I often hear from writers and poets that they can't promote themselves. How sad. If they don't do it, who is?


Robert S. King wrote an excellent post on three ways to promote yourself.
Click here.

I am listed in the directory of Poets and Writers. It wasn't difficult to meet the qualifications. Robert tells you how in this article.

I have been remiss in not using You Tube for my readings, etc. Many times I've watched videos of Kathryn Stripling Byer because someone in the audience videoed her reading. Robert would like to see all the Netwest readings videoed and I think I'll look into it for myself. Although I wouldn't want to watch myself, I think it could be good publicity.

Tipper Presley did teach me how to upload a video of deer in the snow outside my window. I'll see if I can remember how to put it in this post.

Robert S. King will be teaching a class at Moss Memorial Library on Saturday, April 20,10 - 1 PM. 

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Translate - a new gadget from blogger

Take note of a new gadget on the sidebar of this blog. Now readers who do not speak English can have the blog translated into their language simply by clicking on the TRANSLATE link and typing their preferred language.

I hope this will increase our readership and we can make friends with folks in other countries.

Snow all day kept me home and busy.


On a cold snowy day like today, I get so much done at home. Today I went down to my studio in my basement and turned on my old desktop computer. That is where many photos and older files are found. I had Bob, my computer guru, clean up that old dinosaur.


View from my deck looking off into the woods and the snow covered mountains
 Now it is quick and I enjoy it more than my fancy new desktop in my office. I am still struggling with learning Windows 8, Microsoft Office Word 2010, and I get frustrated when I have to search for all the new ways of doing things.

I have learned that not all young people know more about computers than I do. In fact, I find that most of them know how to use their smart phones, but when it comes to what I need to learn, they tell me they don't know anything about computers.

The next time someone tells me to just ask a twelve year old how to hook up my computer or use a program that is new to me, I will tell them that I don't have time to teach a kid or have the patience to try to get him/her off their cell phone. 

I hope that Ronda Birtha's class on using Social Media for marketing your writing will make. I look forward to learning how to do that properly and how to be safe on Facebook and Twitter. I see people giving out their home addresses on FB, and putting their young children's pictures online and I wonder if that is safe. I know I wouldn't give out my home address on Facebook. But Ronda is an expert in all this and I'm sure she can tell us what to do and what is not safe to do. 
Mainly, I hope she will help our writers see how they can promote their writing and reach a larger audience.

I hope all of you are warm tonight. I think about my parents and grand parents on cold nights like this. They couldn't go in and flip the thermostat higher to take the chill off.
Even when I was a small child we had only one heater in the house. Mother would warm a blanket and wrap up our feet when we climbed into the cold bed. Then she would pile quilts on us and we slept warm, my little sister and me, cuddled up together.


Saturday, March 2, 2013

Cary Carden playwright and story teller. His play "Coy" will be presented at  Valleytown Cultural Arts Center, Andrews, NC April 27, 2013

CHAUTAUQUA ANDREWS APRIL 26, 27

I hope you will put these dates on your calendar. April 26, 27.


The little town of Andrews, NC will continue with their Spring Chautauqua and has a wonderful lineup of events. Check them out on the link below.

http://www.chautauquaandrews.org/calendar.htm

At 2:00 p.m.  Saturday, see "Becoming Elizabeth Lawrence" presented by Emily Herring Wilson at the Valleytown Cultural Arts Center.

One of Gary Carden's plays , "Coy," will be presented by Tom Dewees at the Valleytown Cultural Arts Center 7:00 P.M. and several other theater productions will take place that weekend.
If you have somehow missed seeing a Gary Carden play, you must make sure to take in this one. You will spend a delightful evening with his characters.

Although Andrews is not so far from Clay County NC, Towns County and Union County Georgia, we hear little about this event. Thanks to Linda Ray at Curiosity Books in Murphy for sending the link.

After the last performance of one of Gary's plays at Chautauqua  I heard rave reviews. I am determined to get to Andrews for this one. Hope to see you there.

Local Writers will be interviewed on radio.


Recently Shawna Rose, hostess of the Blue Sky Show, called me to inquire about having local writers appear on her radio show.
I was on my way out of town and didn't get back to her until a week ago. Meantime, Brenda Kay Ledford, had contacted Shawna and is going to appear on the WJUL/WJRB FM Radio Station 97.5 at Young Harris, Georgia on Saturday,  March 2, 2013 at 11:30 am, 2:00 pm, and 7:30 pm.  The program, "Blue Sky Show," will also air on Sunday, March 3, 2013 at 7:30 am, 12:30 pm, and 2:00 pm. 

Shawna interviewed Brenda Kay about her new poetry chapbook, BECKONING, that was recently released by Finishing Line Press (www.finishinglinepress.com).

Maren Mitchell, author of Beat Chronic Pain, an Insider's Guide,  is expected to be a guest of Shawna Rose soon.