New Year, New Rant

Presenting another in our series spotlighting various members of the South Jersey Writers' Group - today's guest blog is by Barbara Godshalk.

While it’s still only February, I thought I’d pass along a few thoughts on the new year. To quote my six year old daughter, “How many more days until spring, mommy?” I guess I got spoiled by last winter. We delicate flowers need our heat. It’s been absolutely rude out there. We haven’t even had a decent snow yet. You would think after all the carbohydrates from the holidays I’d be warm enough but no, as we say in these parts, it’s friggin’ freezing. I’ve been living in layers like a walking wool parfait. Isn’t that one 'advantage' of winter? I don’t have to see all those carbs, they’re buried under sweaters!

It’s taken years, but I’ve finally smartened up when it comes to mitigating the damage from all that shopping. Only buy what you have to for the people you’re going to see in the order you see them. For that special breed of masochists who shop on Black Friday, God bless you. I’d rather stick forks in my eyes. I’ve been able to scoop up a few bargains for friends’ kids at the post holiday clearance sales. I also shopped in my basement as much as possible. I’m a year round squirreler. If I find something for someone in July, I’ll grab it for later use.

This January has been every bit as annoying as last year. The difference is I’m feeling slightly better. I didn’t say optimistic, let’s not get crazy. I am however, busy at home and very lucky that I still have that ability. It does feel funny that I don’t have any official job lined up for tax season this year. However, that doesn’t mean I’ll be hanging out watching the “he-did-it-fry-the-bastard” channel while my girl is at school. My guilty pleasure isn’t reality TV per se, but those "Dateline" style crime shows (not something I’m proud of).

While I won’t be receiving a steady paycheck in the near future I have found money in my house (at least a few shekels). I’m getting ready for a huge clearance sale. My development has a yard sale every spring. The gory details can be found in a whole separate soap opera previously published (Tall Tales and Short Stories from South Jersey). Yes, I haven’t given up on that. Why? We need the space.

Toys "R" Us explodes in our house every Christmas and every birthday. This goes beyond the idea of ‘it’s not the kid, it’s the crap they come with.’ This mushrooms into the network of our friends’ kids that we buy for and get gifts from. It’s like a warped Catholic Hanukkah (with a lot less meaning). The gifts go on for a lot longer than eight days. I’m trying to remember that we’re lucky to have a herd to thin. As every parent knows, old toys must disappear by stealth. We could own something my daughter hasn’t touched in over nine months. I will start to view this as a possible good candidate for sale. This toy will emit some sort of distress signal to our girl and she will suddenly find it fascinating! I never see the leftovers in our refrigerator do this.

There are also the ancient mommy clothes hiding in my dresser. I am referring to the fact that the last time I went grown up clothes shopping was for maternity clothes and maybe one other time in the last six years. If it’s older than my daughter, there’s a good chance it’s way older and should probably leave. Unlike the music I listened to in college, however, I wouldn’t call those old clothes 'classic.' No one’s possessions are safe, especially when I can’t answer the question "Why the hell are we keeping this?"

Once again, I could use to put those hearts up around the house and maybe a few turkeys would have been nice it they’d only remind me to be grateful. The problem is I need something that says, "be grateful," not "we Heart poultry." Hearts yes, but turkeys??? (I’m open to suggestions.)

If I could be said to be 'looking forward' to anything, it would be to seeing the floor in our basement. By then, the weather will be warmer, I hope. In the meantime, I’m planning to help myself survive the winter by planning a summer getaway - not for me. I’ll be looking for summer camps for our daughter!

Happy New Year, enjoy your ride in the slingshot.

About today's guest-blogger:

Barb Godshalk is a married mommy of a now six-year-old wealth of material and lives with her supportive husband in South Jersey. Her work had been featured on the In the Powder Room website as well as on Sirius XM's late lamented Lime Radio. Recently, you can find her in the South Jersey Writers' Group anthology Tall Tales and Short Stories. The majority of works involve memoir and life lessons pieces with as much humor as readers can tolerate. You can check out Barb's blog Momsanity here. Enjoy.

The SJWG's Steampunk Granny

Presenting the next in a series spotlighting various members of the South Jersey Writers' Group - today's guest blog is by Marie Gilbert.

When Glenn Walker, AKA the Patron Saint of Blogging, asked me to be a guest on the SJWG blog, I said sure, I would love to talk about my writing. I love being part of this awesome group of talented people and I’ve learned so much since joining. But, saying yes to the post was the easy part, explaining why I like to write horror stories; not so much. The advice most often given to writers is to write what you know. Good advice, but what if your writing takes you down a path that is often scary?

Write what you know! I write about my family, ghosts, zombies, and aliens. Have I ever met an alien? Well… there are a few members of my family that I do wonder about, but basically, I research the information done by NASA and astro-biologists who study life forms that can exist in extreme conditions here on earth. I then try to imagine what life forms might be found on other planets. Using this method, I come up with some pretty neat aliens and landscapes.

Have I ever met a zombie? No, but I do have teenage grandchildren, nieces and nephews who seem to go brain dead as soon as they sit in front of their computers. I know it’s not the same, but when you’ve tried on multiple times to get someone’s attention and they don’t see or hear you because they’re playing Assassin's Creed; they’re zombies.

All kidding aside, I’ve done plenty of research on the subject and feel that a zombie apocalypse, complete with pesky little flesh eaters, is possible. In my stories this apocalypse happens because of mutating prions, genetic and biological warfare, and my favorite; genetically modified foods.

When it comes to ghost stories, I’m definitely writing about something I know. I’ve been seeing the dearly, and not so dearly, departed since early childhood. Inheriting this trait from my grandmother and mother, I have a healthy supply of spooky material for my stories. I plan to write a story on a particularly nasty spirit that I had encountered on one of my teams ghost hunting investigations. Right now, I’m doing the research on the series of events that led to a child’s death by said nasty spirit.

Not all my stories are about the paranormal. I also write about my family. In a large Italian family, there is always something going on that I can write about on my blog. I love writing about my family and their adventures, about going to steampunk events, and ghost hunting investigations.

I’ve been posting a weekly episode called "Life with Fred & Lucy." These episodes, which are subtitled "Surviving your Gene Pool" tells about my siblings and me growing up with two dysfunctional parents and working in the family business that was located in South Philadelphia. Wait… maybe this is a paranormal story.

When not writing about ghost, zombies and aliens, or doing interviews on published authors, film directors, actors and producers, I enjoy writing for Biff Bam Pop!, which is a pop culture website and writing a monthly post for Janet Garraty’s online magazine, Go Jane News.

So, now you know what I write about, but I haven’t told you why I write. I can’t help it! This need to tell a story is hardwired into me; into all of us. I love listening to stories and I love telling them. Stories for me, is a means of transporting history, hopes and dreams. Stories are, in essence, a time machine for humanity, which stretches from the past, present, future and beyond and starts with “Once upon a time.”

About today's guest-blogger:

Marie Gilbert is a multi-dimensional super-heroine with more adventures than a comic book museum, stuck in a grandmother’s body. Retired from the Academy of Natural Sciences, Marie finally has time for her first love; writing. She writes primarily paranormal and science fiction stories. Her popular blog, Gilbert Curiosities, chronicles her adventures with her nine grandchildren, her ghost hunting investigations and her love of steampunk and zombies. Marie is also a staff writer for Biff Bam Pop! and a contributing writer for Go Jane News.

Marie served as co-editor of the SJWG short story anthology, Tall Tales and Short Stories from South Jersey. Marie and Dawn Byrne, fellow member of the South Jersey Writers' Group are known as Super G & Super D, and you will find them at many of the coffee shops and bookstores around New Jersey promoting the anthology for the group. Marie’s stories “Night of the Attack” and “Where Are You Zeppie” appeared in the collection.

Why Do the NaNoWriMo?

The following was originally written for the Fear of Writing website back in 2010, and still rings true today. Now that the South Jersey Writers' Group is in the midst of NaNoWriMo, I think this might be a good time to unearth this nugget. Notably, since its writing, I am now on my eleventh year of NaNo-ing, and have finished three times. Enjoy, and be sure to check out FoW for great writing resources and inspiration.

When I was asked to contribute a guest blog about the NaNoWriMo, I jumped right in, just like the NaNoWriMo, and churned one out - and much like the publishing industry itself, I was told it wasn't a good fit. Good friend and the queen of Fear of Writing Milli Thornton quickly rattled off a few more appropriate topics. Number one was not only why do the NaNoWriMo, but why, like me, why do it eight times in a row.

Well, the answer of course is easy. I'm a masochist. I obviously must be. Why else would I subject myself to this process every November? And why would I keep coming back? Over and beyond the concept that I think all writers are masochists, there is another reason, a much more palatable one - to write.

When you become entrenched in the writing community, you quickly learn there are two kinds of writers. There are writers who work and work and are always on one project or another, and are always in the midst of the words. They are doing it, and if they are lucky, and they have the talent - these are the ones who make it.

The other kind of writer is the talker. Oh yeah, they talk a good game, they know their stuff, but you never really see them at work. Sure, maybe they have one or two finished or unfinished novels in their desk drawer or on disc that have never and/or will never be accepted, or revised, or edited. They're not writers, at least not anymore, they just talk about it.

November's National Novel Writing Month is a dividing line, and a barbed wire barrier. It firstly keeps the workers from becoming talkers, and second, it gives the talkers a chance to redeem themselves and become workers again. The goal, bottom line, of the NaNoWriMo is to make you write. Butt in seat, fingers on keyboard, words on page. Do it.

Now a lot of the workers also have their share of pitfalls in their busy writing lives. Sometimes they get bogged down in one project, so intent on that little world or universe you lose objectivity as its creator. Fresh winds and new ideas not only rejuvenate but give new insight to old ideas. The NaNoWriMo is a fresh wind, in that you must create a whole new novel from scratch. November is one big walk in the park or long cold shower - you know, those getaways that give you the energy to tackle an old project that's been dragging you down.

National Novel Writing Month also provides opportunities to meet other writers. Whether it is making writing buddies or posting on the message boards at the NaNoWriMo website, or actually attending the in-person Write-Ins in your region - it is always good to talk with and network with other writers. If only to compare notes and experiences and even talk about trends in the industry, writing is a solitary endeavor, and it's always good to know you're not alone.

The newness of the NaNoWriMo also keeps you fresh, period. As I indirectly confessed earlier, this is year number eight for me and the NaNoWriMo. I have finished my novel once within the given thirty days, but I have finished the novel started in almost every case. I've edited and revised and submitted those novels as well. And it should most importantly be noted, had it not been for the NaNoWriMo, they never would have been written to begin with.

Imagine that, every November a new manuscript to work on. Some folks work their whole lives to get one manuscript. If that alone isn't enough to get you to do the NaNoWriMo, I don't know what is.

About the author: Glenn Walker is the Membership Director of the South Jersey Writers' Group, Associate Editor of Biff Bam Pop!, and a French fry connoisseur. You can hear him on The GAR! Podcast, The Make Mine Magic Podcast, and see him on The All Things Fun! New Comics Vidcast. And while he doesn't have any of his own work in it, he wants you to buy and read Tall Tales and Short Stories from South Jersey, and, most importantly, contrary to popular belief, he does not flog guest-bloggers.

Upcoming SJWG Book Signings

Super D (Dawn Byrne) and Super G (Marie Gilbert) are back and ready to rumble.

Read this message to the tune of "When You're A Jet" from West Side Story. Why not make it interesting, right?

Now, where were we? Oh, yeah, "When you're a Jet, you're a Jet all the way from..."

We are doing a book signing this Saturday, November 2nd at Bogart's Books & Café, which is located at 210 North High Street, Millville, NJ 08052 from 10:30 to 2:00 PM. If you need directions, click here, and don't forget to Like them on Facebook.

Stop by and chat with Dawn Byrne, Marie Gilbert and other members of the South Jersey Writers' Group, and buy a book. We can sing the rest of the song together... or... maybe not…

If you're not able to make this event, no problem, we will also be at the Maple Shade Library on November 13th from 6:30 to 8 PM. And there will be an Open Mike as well, where our authors will read some of their stories and we'll be selling our book, Tall Tales and Short Stories from South Jersey.

We'll be looking forward to seeing you there!

=========
P.S. from Glenn: If you'd like to know what's on the schedule for the South Jersey Writers' Group, please feel free to stop by our website, and the calendar of events there.

Also, if you're a writer in the South Jersey area looking for support, camaraderie, and most of all, information about the craft and the business, the South Jersey Writers' Group is open to new memberships through the end of the year.

Details on membership and all the gatherings, workshops, and events that the group provides can be found on our website. Hope to see you soon!

The Collingswood Book Festival

On Saturday, The South Jersey Writers’ Group participated in the Collingswood Book Festival.  This was the Book Festival’s 11^th year and each year it gets bigger and better.  One of the things that made it better this year, was that the SJWG’s had a table. 

 

Our table had a great location, and a very nice tent to shade group members from the sweltering sun.  Although it was October, it felt more like August. The heat seemed to make everyone feel a little less energetic.

 

 

The group worked hard selling books.  Tall Tales and Short Stories was for sale and other group members had some table space to sell their books.

 

Jordanna East (Blood in the Past), Gregg Feistman (The War Merchants) and John Farquhar ( What to Expect When You're Dead) all sold copies of their books.

 

SJWG also worked at promoting the group.  Amy came up with the idea for these great pins.

 

They worked because people did in fact ask us about our writers’ group and we were ready to hand out our nifty postcards out to anyone who asked. 

One of the best parts about the Collingswood Book Festival is the chance to meet and talk with all of the authors and listen to the panel discussions.

Amy, Shelley and I really enjoyed the panel called, Publishing Your First Novel.  The panel featured four newly published young adult authors.

-Alison Ashley Formento –Twigs

-David Lubar- Extremities: Stories of Death, Murder, and Revenge

-Kit Grindstaff- The Flame in the Mist

-Evan Roskos- Dr. Bird’s Advice for Sad Poets

They were very honest about the trials of publishing your first novel, and gave encouragement about how to handle rejection.  Author Kit Grindstaff recommended chocolate. 

 

 

Amy and I also attended a panel called, What’s the Buzz in YA Fiction-Fantasy or Realism?  The authors on this panel were

Elisa Ludwig – Pretty Crooked

Ty Drago- The Undertakers: Rise of Corpses

Ellen Jensen Abbott- Watersmeet; The Centaur’s Daughter

James Mascia- High School Heroes

The authors on this panel were quite encouraging about writing the story that you want to write and not worrying too much about whether or not your story is hitting on a particular trend (examples- vampires, zombies,  wizards, etc..).  By the time you are finished writing and revising your novel, the trends may have changed.   

 

It seemed that all of the authors that attended the festival were genuinely nice people as well as being talented writers. 

At the end of the day, we drank a lot of water, we sold some books, we sold some tote bags, and got some people interested in joining the group.  If you missed the Collingswood Book Festival or if you had a great time at the festival this year, be sure to mark your calendars for Saturday, October 11^th 2014.

(by Sarah Hawkins Miduski-guest blogger)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gilbert Interviews the Talented & Funny Author of What to Expect When You're Dead

                                                                      

                                                                      

I'm always amazed at how talented The members of  SJWG really are. Every single member brings some sort of a specialty, which they're willing to share with the group. John Farquhar is one of those amazing people. John's specialty is humor and his stories are a joy to read. John has a gift of seeing life in general and human foibles in particular through unfiltered glasses. I've read some of the manuscript before it was published. I won't be one bit surprised if this book to becomes a movie; it's that good! John is also published in the Tall Tales and Short Stories from South Jersey Anthology.



John, thank you for being a guest on our blog. I can't wait to read the book. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

                                                                       

                                                  John Farquhar with his daughters
                              

Myself:  I was born in England, of Irish parents, and educated at Liverpool University and St. John’s College, Oxford. I first came to the USA 17 years ago, to get married to a Jersey girl. We have 2 wonderful daughters, Gemma (15) and Kate (13). I teach literature and languages at Rutgers and Temple University. My passion is World Literature, the older the better.  I find I can relate more to texts that are 4,000 years old than I can to recent masterpieces which, I suspect, won’t be masterpieces for very long.  I am not trying to be ‘an angry old man’. I have the utmost respect, and love,  for writers, but I suspect the novel as we know it may well have run its course, because it is a long time since I have read a novel that I would call a masterpiece.  There seems to be an unnecessary emphasis at the moment on the very violent, the very personal, the whimsical and the animated, in the bad sense of that word, but the refusal of so many writers to engage in important questions of the time, and the embarrassment most seem to feel at the old classical ideal of ‘entertain and instruct’ seems to me to be a dead end.

 Tell us about your book, What to Expect When You're Dead.

Book: My book has two very simple aims: to make people laugh and think.  Though the title might seem morbid to some, to me the tone is unrelentingly cheerful and warm-hearted, and I hope this is how it is read.  I am not trying to antagonize anyone, or to get any believers so angry as to burn my book, though that would be excellent publicity.  The simple question I am asking is why so many believers are so uneasy when humor is used in relation to the search for God.  Are we to assume that God does not understand irony, or does not appreciate it, or feels it should be banned?  The serious tone of so much religious debate is, in my opinion, more a reflection of unresolved fear than unconditional love. Theologians, of whatever persuasion, sometimes seem to me to be engaged in a sustained campaign to remove humor from the face of the Earth, and there should be periodic attempts to stop them, because it is precisely when we lose that ability to laugh at ourselves that we tend to start killing each other.

Oh, My God, I’m a preacher…

                              John Farquhar holding the anthology that has one of his stories                                                                              

 What inspired you to write about the afterlife?

Afterlife:  It should be obvious, when you read the book, that, unlike the narrator, I am a skeptic, as indeed I always have been. My hero, growing up as a Catholic, was Thomas the Doubter, and I can still clearly remember how, aged seven, I couldn’t understand why my teachers were portraying Thomas as the bad guy for wanting proof that Christ had returned from the dead. They were the ones, after all, who demanded proof that a dog had eaten my homework.  Whatever faith is, it is not blindly believing everything you are told; there must be some basis to faith, and, unless you have put it to the severest of tests, you can’t really call it faith at all. Given what appears to be a sharp decline in the membership of organized religions, my position is, I suspect, much more common in America than is generally admitted: I don’t have faith in the existence of God, but nor do I have faith in his non-existence. This no-man’s land, to me, is funny, and this is what compels me so often to write about death and failed attempts to find God. The reader, in this book, is taken, by a well-meaning, but possibly nutty narrator, on a journey to meet God, and beyond; if you laugh at his revelations of how we fit into the Eternal, you should ask yourself why you have laughed; if the journey annoys you, or seems irreverent, you should ask yourself how you personally think Eternity will shape up,  how you envisage yourself as a Spirit.

                                                                                                                                                

 Tell us about your publisher.

Publisher:  I am in awe at the sheer energy and fearlessness of the most remarkable multi-tasker I know, Amy Hollinger, of Hypothetical Press. Without Amy, this book would certainly not have seen the light of day. I’ve no idea, of course, what  fate my work can expect , but, if this little  book  ever gets known even locally, I often think with glee of Amy walking the streets of Audubon, and people pointing at her, saying: “that’s her! She’s the one!”

 Can we expect to see a sequel to What to Expect?

Sequel:  I take you, the reader, from your death, through the tunnel, across the Astral Plain, to the Astral Dome, through an interview with God, into apparently endless darkness, to an unexpectedly happy and eternal finale. How the hell can there be a sequel?

Thank you John for being my guest. And, for our followers, John's book should be out soon. I'll be promoting the Book Launch on this very site. Read the Book; be prepared :)

A Day On the Greene

         


                                                                       

                   SJWG Authors: Bob Cook, Joanne Costantino, Marie Gilbert, Dawn Byrne 

                                                               

                                  SJWG Authors Janice M. Wilson (seated) and James Knipp (standing)

Super G and Super D along with fellow members of the South Jersey Writers Group had a wonderful day at the beautiful and historic town of Smithville, N.J. on the Village Greene.

                                                                          

 

We were part of the Authors on the Greene that was hosted by Wendy Birkbeck of Through the Looking Glass Tea Shop. She did a wonderful job of pulling this event together. We sold lots of books and made many new friends, like the lovely ladies from Eight Women Writers

                                                                            

                                                          the lovely Kristin Battestella Snouffer

                                                             

                                                           our very own Nanci Rainey

                                                                                    

                                                                             Jeff Markowitz

                                                                                         

                                                                        Paul Evens Pederson.

                                                                               

                                                                 

There were vendors, specialty shops, food, and...ghosts. Hey! Sometimes, the ghosts come looking for me. Ghost hunter and author, Richard J. Kimmel, and I spent some time talking about two of the buildings on the Greene that definitely were haunted.

                                                                             

 

                          The weather was just right and the music kept everyone on the upbeat.

We even had a wedding take place during the Authors event. The lovely bride and groom were nice enough to pose outside of the bed and breakfast where they’ll be spending their wedding night. Congrats to both lovely people.

                                                                            

I think our writer’s group will be growing larger because a lot of people at the event wanted information. We’ll be taking applications this October.

http://South-Jersey-Writers.com

Tall Tales and Short Stories to Invade Smithville

                                                                        

                                            

So, the dynamic duo of Super G and Super D are at it again. We're off on another adventure. Where are we going, you might ask?

                                                                          

Dawn and I are heading down the shore to the beautiful, historic, and quaint town of  Smithville. Yes, we'll be selling our anthology of 2012 and promoting the upcoming anthology of 2014. There will be lots of venders there, and let's not forget the shops.
                                                                      
                                                                      

Come down, visit our table, and say hello. You'll find us along the Village Greene. Dawn and I, along with other authors from Tall Tales and Short Stories from South Jersey will be happy to tell you all about the South Jersey Writers Group and maybe you'll become a member.

                                                                      

This is a big event and a perfect way to enter the fall season. So mark this down on your calendar:

Authors On the Greene
Saturday, September 14th, 2013
From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.



https://www.facebook.com/AuthorsOnTheGreene

Book Signing for Tall Tales and Short Stories 8/24/2013

                                                                    

Come out and visit the authors, buy our book and we will sign it. Have a cup of coffee and chat with us about our new E Book and the new anthology on the way.
                                                                      

                                                                          

We'll be at Espressit Coffee House on 18 Haddon Ave. Haddon Township, 08108

phone# 856-854-1001

from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturday, August 24th

  Check out our new E book site:                                                         
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/347134

The Amazingly Talented Victoria Marie Lees

                                                                

               Guest writer, Victoria Marie Lees, on the far right.

 

Since I’ve joined the South Jersey Writers Group at the urging of my granddaughter, Katrina, I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how very talented our members are. One of the members is not only a good friend of mine, but one hell of a good writer. I love reading about Victoria’s camping trips with her family and you will, too.

                                                                        

                                                               Victoria with her family

 

I have the pleasure of introducing you to this week’s special guest, Victoria Marie Lee’s.

Welcome Victoria and thank you for visiting Tall Tales and Short Stories from South Jersey. Let me start off with my first question.

What inspires you to write?

My family and our adventures, nature, camping, life in general.

Life itself is an adventure and each experience, a mini adventure with some grander, some more remarkable.

                                                                

 

I have always been a story teller. Perhaps I get it from my father. He would tell us stories by candlelight every night in the summertime. Each night one of his four children would be the hero of the adventure, rescuing the others from imminent danger or leading the way back home to safety. We would hold our breath during the climaxes every time, even though we knew the story would end happily. Maybe that was it. Life situations don’t always end happily, but in stories they can.

What do you enjoy writing about?

Adventure, family, I write poetry and contemporary short stories, mostly YA. My stories are grounded in possibilities. Some protagonists have parents, some don’t. But no matter what happens in the story, somehow the protagonist learns to deal with the life situation he or she is living. That’s not to say that nothing exciting happens in my stories. I love adventure and nature, so I usually combine the two to create action in the story. I have children lost in a cave while the protagonist deals with feelings of loss and anger, and another situation where a young protagonist is the only one home to rescue her grandfather from danger. My characters deal with unwanted responsibilities and desires to make others happy. While I realize that these are universal themes, I hope to make my stories unique in their situations.

Have you been published and where?

I sold a non-fiction article to Listen Magazine, a magazine geared to keep teens away from drugs and alcohol. Because I sold only first-time rights to Listen Magazine, I could sell the article again, and I did. A Minnesota school system bought it for their reading test. An essay I wrote about raising my special-needs daughter is included in the anthology Easy to Love, But Hard to Raise; a resource for parents of special needs children. I’ve sold two short stories for teens to Cricket Magazine. A few poems I wrote about nature and family won honorable mention at the University of Pennsylvania’s poetry contest. I won second place in a haiku poetry contest at West Chester Poetry Conference and had a short story published in the University of Pennsylvania’s literary magazine, F-Word, a feminist magazine.

Very impressive, Victoria, what are you working on now?

In addition to short stories and poetry, I’m writing a memoir. I love to learn. I enjoy researching topics and speaking with experts for short articles. I write for South Jersey Mom Magazine. Whether I am learning something new with the students I substitute teach or learning along with my classmates in a new online course I’m taking, I enjoy telling stories of my learning experiences.

That’s what I am doing in my memoir about going to college with five children in tow. My learning stories encompass how to study on the go, attending my children’s sporting events, creating chemistry presentations with the twins, and creating French videos with NON-French speaking camera crew—okay, my younger children.

                                                                    

 

Do your children mind being part of your book?

It doesn’t seem like it. The children have been listening to my stories about their growing up histories, the camping adventures, as well as my college adventures for years. Whenever a new friend joins the family or a new boyfriend is had, out come the stories with a “Mom, remember the time when…” to let me know which ones to tell.

                                                                        

 

What advice can you give new writers?

Most times, the journey to publication is long—at least mine was. If you truly believe in who you are and the writing voice (style) you have created, never give up. This doesn’t mean that your stories or writing won’t go through a revision process and perhaps change slightly. It means that your beliefs in your characters and their actions and reactions to situations should ring true and be unique to you. Don’t worry about what is popular. Write what you believe in.

Do you recommend belonging to a writer’s group, and if so, how has SJWG helped you?

Every writer needs writing friends and the best place to find them is in a writer’s group and/or a critique group. This is a safe environment to debut new material and raw ideas and learn about the craft of writing. Writing groups are a place to share learning experiences and help each other grow as writers.

South Jersey Writer’s Group has been instrumental in helping me grow as a writer, from the Blogfests where I could ask technical social media questions to our group’s social media expert to critique groups where I could obtain ideas to strengthen my stories. I would be lost without this writers group and the friends I’ve made there.

Where can our readers find you, Victoria?

http://victoriamarielees.blogspot.com

http://campingwithfivekids.blogspot.com

Google+ Victoria Marie Lees

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Victoria-Marie-Lees/117126664970485

LinkedIn- Victoria Marie Lees

http://www.easytolovebut.com/    and search for Victoria Marie Lees to see my essays.

Thank you so very much, Victoria. It was a wonderful visit, and please do keep our readers updated on all your adventures. Oh, and don’t forget…I want to go on your next family trip.