Words by Webb

at the Muffin. Stop by and read a fun(and perhaps my first?) play. There’s power, sex, and of course writers.

Seriously it’s about our reluctance to call ourselves writers. What made you take the plunge? Like most writers I spent much of my adult life as a “something else” that wrote on the side. I was a bookkeeper, teacher, child care provider, Discovery Toy salesperson, and clothing salesperson. I needed that other job, that steady paycheck. I didn’t care how small the paycheck was or how much time it took away from writing or how much I hated it…somehow it gave me stability. At a particular low point, working night shifts at a donut shop(the only time my husband could care for the kids), I spent one evening complaining about work. One older gentlemen from a tableful of retiree regulars piped up, “Well, dear if you had stayed in school you could get a real job.” Well, I did stay in school, graduated from college with honors, and I did have a real skill. The next day–July 4–I called in and told them I wasn’t coming in that day, or any other day. And that was the day I stopped being a “writer on the side” and started being just a writer, period.

Today I didn’t just visit The Muffin. I also visited my son’s elementary school for Career Day. Eek! Third, fourth and fifth graders. And I got asked the inevitable question, “When did you become a REAL writer?”

Oh, a REAL writer. So what is a REAL writer? I told them some people consider themselves a writer when they start to write, some when they first get something published, some when they first get paid for their writing, some when they can support themselves with their writing, some when they publish their first book. It’s a tricky question. I told them they would have to pick:

I first had something published when I was in 7th grade(won a newspaper contest for short stories)
I first got paid for my writing in 1996.
I first contributed to a book in 2007.
I feel I’ve been a full time writer since 2003.

So which is it? When did I become a writer? How about you, when did you become, as the kids said, a REAL writer?

The Muffin talking about double marketing. Yes, that’s a little ole’ phrase I made up myself! Stop by and see what I’m talking about.

Giveaway: The Radleys

Yes, winner time is here! I wish I could give a copy to everyone but the winner is Susanna. Which incidentally is the name of a character in my WIP! Not why Susanna won though. It was all Mr. Random.org. Stay tuned because I have another giveaway next week that is sure to brush away your winter blues!

at the Muffin today to talk about writing for free and why I couldn’t resist a free assignment I recently worked on.

While we’re on the subject of free, over 100 children’s authors and illustrators agreed to contribute a bit of free writing to help Yes! Grace Rocks, a non-profit organization that helps the families of children with brain trauma. They contributed favorite recipes and kitchen memories to All Because of Grace: Reflections and Recipes. Yes! Grace Rocks was started last year by school librarian Jane Martellino to help Grace, a young student who had a brain tumor. Grace is still undergoing
therapy to resume life as she knew it before brain surgery. But the non-profit has expanded provide scholarships, music, animal, and art therapy, physical therapy equipment, gas cards for families traveling for treatment and monetary assistance for families. You can order All Because of Grace at their website. Do some early Christmas shopping! Spread the word!

Another friend, mystery writer Gayle Trent, is thinking Christmas also. Throughout the month of November, Gayle is having a contest giving away books, beauty products, and gift cards. Yay! Follow Gayle’s blog and you can enter this fabulous contest.

at the Muffin. Stop by to compare agents, editors, and publishers to the Big Bad Wolf.

…at The Muffin as I struggle with vacations vs. work. Do you take work on vacation? How do you manage to “unplug”? Oh, the questions of modern life.