The Legacy of Pen Women

I'm a blogger and writer and an International member of the National League of Pen Women...my byline says. So who are the Pen Women? 

The National League of American Pen Women, Inc. is a professional organization of women in creative fields to support and promote creative excellence and professional standards in the Arts. The League reaches back for almost 120 years with a rich history of outstanding members and a colorful tapestry of talents in the fields of writing, art and music.

It was founded by five adventurous and ambitious writers in 1897 because the literary world they wanted to conquer as journalists was exclusively a male domain. Barred from the all-male Press Club, their indignation about such discrimination led them to act. Now there are branches all over the United States with distinguished programs such as competitions for young artists and writers to fulfill our nonprofit mission to promote the arts.

With the League’s membership expanding, it appointed a Music Committee in 1916.
Pen Women have made history since their founding days: “Pen Woman Anna Kelton Wiley went to jail in 1917 with 98 other women in an attempt to convince President Woodrow Wilson of the need for Women’s Suffrage.”

25 years after its inception/foundation, the League’s artistic membership had sufficiently grown to warrant a League Art Show. One of its art members was young Vinnie Ream, the sculptor of the statue of President Abraham Lincoln still admired in the Rotunda of the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.
It took until 1971, however, for women to be approved for membership in the National Press Club. “On February 22, 1971, 24 newswomen were approved for membership in the National Press Club, ending the all-male member’s tradition,” Mary Manning writes in her contribution to the Centennial Celebration Pen Woman magazine. This small version of the magazine is a priceless testimonial to the many accomplishments of the League; it gives a detailed overview of the Pen Women’s renowned history and endeavors.

In 1950, a mansion was purchased in Washington D.C which became the splendid Pen Arts Building. Within walking distance of the White House, art museums, and just down the street from the National Geographic Society, its location has a historic designation. Members are encouraged to visit it and its art collections, library and archives. Currently, there is an initiative to raise funds for needed building repairs.

The Pen Women are proud to have many famous artists of international renown like Pearl Buck and Dorothy Parker among their ranks as well as several First Ladies like Florence Kling Harding, Eleanor Roosevelt and Hillary Rodham Clinton who are Honorary Members.

Once a Pen Woman – always a Pen Woman. Paula Harding, journalist and author, one of our own members here in Jacksonville, FL was a distinguished member for over 50 years. She held every office except that of the Treasurer, “because she had no talent for that.” She met personally with Honorary Member Pearl Buck when she visited Jacksonville. She is the perfect example extending her hand into the community well beyond her retirement writing a newsletter for the community she lived in until, sadly, she passed away in 2013.

“It’s a good feeling to belong to an organization as established (78 years!), as large as 5,800 talented women!), and as prestigious as the League…not just the honor of being associated with some of the most talented creators.., not just the thrill of recognizing so many famous bylines…There is a delight…such a glow of admiration and affection that makes me proud to be able to say, “I am a Pen Woman” (Elizabeth Shafer, 1975).

The Centennial magazine revealed another true gem, the term Penguin and Penguin Parade referring to the husbands of the Pen Women. When attending one of their famous dinners in evening gear, what should one call the attending spouses appropriately? Liboria Romano who was president of the Manhattan branch at the time, in 1949, came up with the idea to call them Pen-guins.

So much has changed since the first communication bulletin was printed and distributed in 1916 and the first quarterly magazine was issued in 1920. (These magazines can be read in the Pen Arts archives!) These days the League has fully embraced the digital era with a wonderful, informative national website (www.NLAPW.org). Most local branches have their own websites, e.g., JaxPenwomen.com.

“In an age where striving for excellence is a rare thing, what a privilege it is to belong to THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF AMERICAN PEN WOMEN. TO THE FUTURE!” (from the Sacramento branch according to the Centennial magazine). This still holds true today. One for all and all for one, is after all, our motto.

If you're a writer, artist or create music, you may want to consider membership with us. There will be a branch near you

Siggy Buckley

Jacksonville Branch.
This blogpost was first published on our national website August 5,2015.

Sometimes You Can Go Back

I sit in a room from the past.

Never thought I 'd find myself here

again nor that I'd be welcomed

at this veterinary office.

He drones on about ear mites, wax

and cat allergies even as his big hands with

familiar arthritic knuckles manipulate her small

body to investigate every fold & cranny. 

Her dilated pupils, outrage.

I realize his face was the last you saw, his laughing

blue eyes, that slightly hooked nose. His voice, the last

you heard urging you to stay. Yes, he was the one you chose

when it came your time to pass. Not me who loved

you with winged desperation, but this man. I remember

the threat of tears in his voice when he phoned to tell

me he had tried everything to save you.  I remember.

So, I bring this kitten now to offer her to his hands.

to the last place you were alive. Power here, 

though many years and several Hells have passed.

I have not heard your purr for over a decade.

He finishes his examination. Holds your great-granddaughter's

neck in his hand like a lily  or a chalice. She stretches her paws,

her pupils shrink.  My blue-eyed Egyptian queen showing me 

that everything will be alright.

Sometimes you can go back.

Rachael Z. Ikins

Rachael Z. Ikins is Social Media Editor & 1st Vice President CNY Chapter, National League of American Penwomen

Www.rachaelikins.com

Www.amazon.com/Complete-Tales-Edge-Woods/dp/1614620083/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1367700497&sr=1_&keywords=rachael+ikins

Www.writerraebeth.wordpress.com

"Ask the Girl Arts....because girls can do anything!"

Black and White

Your black and white is showing
It is as clear as night and day
The line is drawn to mark the spot
No space for gray to play.

Sure, things went a bit awry 

Our emotions went astray;

Yet gray is where our hearts did meet

While black and white were kept at bay.

Gray was the expanse of love

Where songs and poems grew wings

The place in time where fairies swept

The place where angels sing.

The white was where your spirit lived

Light and free and soft

Above the lurking shadows

Where dreams were kept aloft.

Black, a dark foreboding place 

Where shadows dwell at large

The dim veil of a promise broken

Flowed above and fully charged.

Return to gray where beauty blooms

Transparent in its all

Safe from the depths of a colorless world

Oh, listen deep and hear the call.
The End.

 

Marilyn Ashe Wilson
 

 Creator, Producer, and Facilitator of Transformational Events and Workshops for women of all ages; Founder of JustABeatAway, The Wisdom Roundtable, and co-founder of Blondes Drum 2; Writer, Songwriter, Musician/Drummer 101; Change Agent; Firestorm of Divine Creative Energy; Manifesting Generator; Lover of Life, Heartbeats, Dance and anything rhythmic.  Two co-recorded CD's can be found on CD Baby and Reverbnation under her former business name of Blondes Drum 2 and is currently working on developing a path for her songwriting and video projects.  Married with 4 children and 5 grandchildren, she lives in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL and is committed to building community one beat at a time.

http://www.cdbaby.com/CD/blondesdrum2

http://www.reverbnation.com/blondesdrum2

www.JustABeatAway.weebly.com 
www.TheWisdomRoundtable.weebly.com 

How did I get this Gray Hair?

When I look into the mirror, I ask myself, “How did I get this gray hair?” Oh yes, I have been living with it now for 20-plus years. It is not a stranger to me at all. I had my hair colored once, and that was for a special fund-raising event that my hair dresser had talked me into. She did a beautiful job in bringing the color back to my original brunette. “How long will this color stay in?” I asked with honest concern. Kay looked at me and knew I wasn’t kidding around. She started laughing and answered, “I have been a cosmetologist for over 30 years, and no customer has ever asked me that question. They want to know, “how long can you make my color last?” I suppose my “tomboy” days stuck with me; I was out playing sand lot football with my brother and his friends when other girls were getting permanents. Kay and I became friends almost instantly after she became my hairstylist. When Kay moved away to live in Washington State, I felt like a lost puppy. No woman likes to give up her hairstylist especially if she is a dear friend.

I could not seem to find anyone who could cut my hair as well as Kay could. In the beginning, I shared this sentiment with Barbara, bemoaning my need to find another hairdresser. Barbara said, “I cut hair, let me do it for you. Just fix me a hamburger when I come over.” Perhaps you need to know that Barbara is a funeral director. Her cosmetology clients were all very silent and never complained. The first time Barb came with her comb and shears, I asked, “Shall I sit up or lie down?” Barb truly did a good job, and I never had to lie down, not even once.

Speaking about Barb, she has very attractive silver hair. It is cut in a bob. Her nickname at work is “Harry Potter”, due to her haircut and Harry Potter-style glasses. A group of friends had gotten together for a pot luck dinner one Saturday. Barb was coming straight from work, and showed up in her smart, tailored black suit. She came through the door with a lovely bouquet of red roses. As Barb was arranging the bouquet in a vase, Linda walked into the dining room wide-eyed and focused on the flowers. Linda asked Barb in a troubled voice, “Where did you get those flowers?” All of us in the room were not disturbed by what we already figured out. As Barb stepped back to admire her arrangement as the center piece of the dinner table, she answered, “For goodness sakes, Linda, just consider this a gift from someone who could not join us for dinner.”

Sometimes the process of “natural color,” takes longer for some than others. I met my friend Mary in her second year of a medical residency. At that time, she had black hair cut most attractively in a Dorothy Hamill style. In a year, Mary would become a “real” family practice physician. I am seven years older than Mary, and most of us who have become her friends and patients are six to ten years older than she. It seemed while we were growing into our blood pressure medicine, hip replacements, weight gain and shingles, Mary was eternally young. She would swing open the door of the examining room, revealing her youthful figure, coal-black hair and boundless energy. For years we all would ask each other, “When will Mary finally start turning gray like the rest of us?” It has been 35 years now, and just three years ago, Mary’s hair started turning “salt and pepper.” Now retired, Mary tells us her tennis elbow is acting up and she finally had surgery for her carpal tunnel. We all breathe a sigh of relief and say, “Now that is more like it.”

Whether your hair is silver, white, gray or somewhere in between, let us all take comfort in the words of Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton, “It is not by the gray of the hair that one knows the age of the heart.”  

— Jan Atchley Bevan
Presidential Panache, NLAPW Jacksonville branch

Holiday Prayer, a safe place to live

Richmond, VA… December 2012 …
Across the Nation, communities question “Is there a safe place to live?” A few years ago, U.S.A Today newspaper posed this question when it published a full-page insert. The newspaper reported bad weather as brewing from blizzards to heat waves and across the nation, the prospect of ongoing natural disasters fueled by unhealthy shifts in the environment. Reviewing the report, readers saw a map depict region by region increases in blizzards, snowstorms, earthquakes, flash floods, monsoons, tornadoes, hailstorms, heat waves, hurricanes, typhoons, ice storms, thunderstorms, lightning, tsunamis, nor’easters, river valley flooding, volcanic eruptions and wildfires.

    More recently, communities asked this question when our Nation experienced loss through global civil unrest. For on the anniversary of September 11th, an incident occurred which was described by Hillary Clinton as ‘there will never be peace on earth when there are those who use their religion as an excuse to terrorize others.” And, this week yet another senseless mass murder – students and staff of Sandy Hook school – occur reminding all of us of the frailty of personal safety. So, how under these circumstances do we reconcile its loss, regain a sense of peaceful existence?

     When solicited to creatively define the concept of peace, a Tapestry for Peace was unveiled during a National League of American Pen Women conference held in Denver. Inspired by a Denver Branch Pen Woman, the late Eve Mackintosh and comprised of panels that reflect the diverse nature of common desire for a peaceful world – a safe place in which to live, this tapestry is an expansive work. Measuring more than 250 feet in length, it features 64 panels hand-made by hundreds of people and organizations from across the U.S.A. For those interested, the exhibit is available for showings around the U.S.A. and internationally.

     On the other hand, those who ‘dig in the dirt’ acquire their sense of safety – solace –through another option, renewal of season or planting living green. While not to lessen the impact on any one of the 32 affected families, in a way, Virginia’s green – horticulture – community so-to-speak experienced loss during the Virginia Tech shootings of one of its own, Jocelyne Couture-Nowak. Described by the media as an ‘Adjunct Professor of Foreign Languages that joined Virginia Tech on August 10, 2001 - Jocelyne Couture-Nowak, French Canadian, beloved mother, wife, and a member of the Blacksburg community, in which she and her family have lived since 2001, passed away on April 16, 2007, while engaged in her passion, teaching Intermediate French at Virginia Tech.’ To honor Jocelyne and her family, the state of Virginia’s Green Industry fund a Jocelyne Couture-Nowak Memorial Garden, a terrace at the Hahn Horticulture Garden.

    Perhaps less creative but most certainly essential, regulatory activities occur, too. In early 2013, members of the Global and National Climate Change Academies are scheduled to release eco research compiled by member national and global scientists. Then, our Nation’s elected representatives are legislatively required to review this research and enable eco regulation. In other words, our Nation’s regulatory communities find a way to make sense of loss due to the impact of ongoing natural disasters fueled by unhealthy shifts in the environment. And, hopefully, there will likewise be amongst us those who can make sense of the senseless act of mass murder, find a way to restore our Nation’s sense of public-at-large safety.

      So, whether it is for those who recover from the havoc of natural disasters or impact of global civil unrest or loss through the act of senseless mass murder, in the spirit of the holiday season, let us seek to protect the safety of our communities – business, civic and environmental. For, together, we can make a difference: be seen as people who CARE – set a Climate, not merely adjust to a preexisting one; create an encouraging Attitude, not practice ambivalence; are Receptive to people without losing sight of personal needs; and demonstrate Empathy for others while keeping problems in perspective.

      Regardless of cultural diversity, let’s join in a prayer for “a safe place in which to live, peace on earth and specifically request that it begin with me!”

pix caption - Tapestry of Peace exhibit sponsored by NLAPW

About Wright -
    Identified as an Industry 'mover and shaker' by Landscape Architect magazine, Sylvia Hoehns Wright urges all, during the holiday season, to join in a prayer for “a safe place in which to live, peace on earth and specifically request that it begin with me - become people who CARE!” Details of her activities are available at web site www.TheWrightScoop.com  or facebook group The Wright Scoop or twitter ID WrightScoop.

Thanksgiving, a bird’s eye view

Traditionally, the holiday season is viewed as a time to reflect on ‘thankfulness’ for the general health and welfare of our communities. Nevertheless, a 21^st century question is, ‘Are we, as communities, contributing to the eco-health or demise of our urban, suburban as well as rural communities?’

Through participating in a series of community meetings related to the reclassification of wetland areas from ‘flood plain’ to ‘hazard area’, I heard person after person describe significant change in the quantity of their community’s flood waters, areas flooding that had never flood before; and even, not once or twice but numerous times, raw sewage which seeped into surrounding creeks, streams and rivers. So, as the present-day caretaker for a ‘generational family owned property’ once labeled the Bolton Estate located in Henrico County Virginia, I am alarmed.

When stable, this property serves as a host site for a variety of wildlife, ranging from fox to the American eagle. In fact, historical records indicate the central lake to be a natural pool; but overtime, it was extended to first support more than 500 acres of agriculture activity and a second time, to support outdoor active recreation facilities. Nevertheless, due to the impact of surrounding urban/suburban development, the area is no longer usable for fresh-water recreation. So, you see, I share with the wildlife a ‘bird’s eye view’ of the impact of urban/suburban runoff and pollution. I’ve watched a so-to-speak once pristine spring-feed wetland become a dumping ground; yet, it is one of the few remaining community green corridors – habitats.

On the other hand, the area similar to other areas does not have to remain a dumping ground, a hazard area. There are alternative land use strategies which will not only recover but prevent future negative impact. First and foremost, there is – related to this property - a County of Henrico sponsored creek restoration program. Still, for it to effectively work, other strategies need to be implemented; for examples, a rethink of how land is developed, use of ‘green build’ construction alternatives; and perhaps, more importantly, an awareness of the eco-consequences of individual life-style choices.

So, while I cringe at the fact we have labeled 21st century green spaces hazard; perhaps, it is an excellent first step. For, it should be the beginning of an evangelistic awakening: a challenge to focus on implementing forms of green land use that not only lessen the impact of urban/suburban development but recover the eco-health of our Nation’s communities. Individually and collectively we do have a pivotal eco opportunity: the option of choosing to implement green land use strategies which enable eco-healthy community landscapes or continue down a path of present-day life-styles which contribute to the decline of eco-systems.

While many view the holiday season as a time to celebrate family and host feasts, I want be thankful for the world’s natural beauty, focus on the recovery of community eco health. Why? In early 2013, members of the Global and National Climate Change Academies will release eco research compiled by member national and global scientists. Then, our newly elected National representatives are legislatively required to review this research and enable eco regulation.

Recovering ‘hazard areas’ – green space corridors, will require the joint effort of all: elected and appointed representation, land use development professionals, governmental regulation and of course, regional businesses and residential communities. So, together, let’s make a commitment to ‘green’ America’s landscape - move ‘hazard areas’ from eco-weak to eco-chic, create a legacy of eco healthy urban, suburban as well as rural green spaces. And, perhaps one day, the birds will look down and think, ‘Whew, those humans, they had a close call; but, thankfully recognized the error of their ways!’

About the author – Spotlighted by Landscape Architect magazine as an Industry ‘mover & shaker’, Glen Allen VA based The Wright Scoop –Sylvia Hoehns Wright, recipient of the ‘Turning America from Eco-weak to Eco-chic’ award sponsored by Hines Horticulture, Project Evergreen and Today’s Garden Center magazine – challenges all to ‘green’ America’s landscapes, create a legacy of healthier urban/suburban communities. For details of Wright's activities, visit web site www.TheWrightScoop.com 

Pix available on request – Pix caption – Generational-family wetland property provides habitat for Wright’s Glen Allen VA community. 

Sylvia Hoehns Wright

LOVE’S FRAGRANCE

                                                             GIVING A HOOT  

Love is like a fragrant Rose
Whatever shape or form                            
As solid as the first new bud
In the light of perfect dawn
And when the morning takes its flight
As noontime sets the stage
This Rose unfolds its petals
On Nature’s scenic page
Then as the twilight lengthens
And darkness settles in
Its fragrance lingers in the air
To cheer our hearts again

By Jackie Hand in memory of her husband Berkley (6/11/12)
Member of NLAPW, Jacksonville, FL
Jackie has been a member of NLAPW since 1974. Jackie has won numerous awards in  her branch and in FSA for her music, poetry and short stories.Pen Woman of the Year  at the FSA 2003 Biennial Conference in 2003, and won First Place for the newly named Jacksonville Review newsletter. Two of her patriotic songs were recently used by National on two occasions, for the 200th Birthday Celebration of Abraham Lincoln 1809-2009.

Published on Front Page oft heir newsletter Giving a Hoot

Happy Easter!

For once something totally different on this Easter Sunday: Patricia Setser, a local artist and member of the Jacksonville Branch of the National League of American Pen Women kindly offered to share her picture to wish us all a very Happy Easter. She will be our guest tomorrow, Monday, on our blog talk radio show "Monday Lunch Hour" at 12 PM. Please tune in and listen to what she can tell us about her beautiful artwork and how the arts influenced her life. Here 's the  link. available as a podcast after the show.
FB: Pat Setser

Once in a while...You can contact Morgen Bailey too!

Blog interview no.278 with writer Siggy Buckley

13 Feb

Welcome to the two hundred and seventy-eighth of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, short story authors, biographers, agents, publishers and more. Today’s is with article and short story author and novelist Siggy Buckley. A list of interviewees (blogged and scheduled) can be found here. If you like what you read, please do go and investigate further.
Morgen: Hello Siggy. Please tell us something about yourself, where you’re based, and how you came to be a writer.
Siggy: I’m based in Florida. I started out by writing a diary about live encounters I had thru online dating agencies. After meeting my husband the “natural way”, Connor encouraged me to expand it into a book.
Morgen: Write what you know. What genre do you generally write?
Siggy: Besides that I started almost immediately to blog. Then articles for online magazines like www.Americanchronicle.com and www.opednews.com. I also wrote a couple of short stories which I published on www.scrbd.com to let them see the light of the day.
Morgen: What have you had published to-date? Do you write under a pseudonym?
Siggy: Some of the political articles are published under my maiden name. You could call that a pen name. I wrote a novel based on my life called Next Time Lucky: Lessons of a Matchmaker and converted a travel blog into an eBook Intrepid Home Swapping: How to save thousands on your next vacation.
Morgen: Have you had any rejections in between the acceptances?
Siggy: I sent about 100 queries out and got about 70 rejections. Some wanted to read my ms and eventually I found an agent. But the agent didn’t find a publisher for my novel. Every rejection letter is hard to take. One shouldn’t take them personally, but I do. Eventually, I couldn’t take it any more and I self-published. I know an author who wrote 29 novels before finally one was accepted. I couldn’t do that.
Morgen: Wow. That’s a lot. Hopefully he / she can do something with them now. It’s said that horror novelist Dean Koontz had over 500 rejections before his first novel came out. I went to a writers’ conference on Saturday and heard a talk by Barry Cunningham who signed up JK Rowling. He said she’d been rejected by every other publisher in the UK and look at her now. That said, I’ve had 28 rejections (not for separate novels I hasten to add) and have gone the eBook route (alongside a freelance editor) because I get more (total) say. Have you won or been shortlisted in any competitions?
Siggy: Am afraid not. But I only participated in one competition. I avoid spending money on them.
Morgen: Many people don’t enter because they’d rather submit for publication. I dabble in competitions but would now rather aim for publication but one of my Monday writers does nothing but competitions so it’s a personal choice. You mentioned having an agent. Do you think they’re vital to an author’s success?
Siggy: I had this agent in CA for a year. In spite her promises also to sell the film rights, nothing happened. Now it’s up to me alone to get publicity and make it work.
Morgen: Which is why you’re here. Are your books available as eBooks? Were you involved in that process at all? Do you read eBooks or is it paper all the way?
Siggy: Yes, both books are available as eBooks. Love to read them myself since I got my Kindle in November.
Morgen: I only got mine last month and enjoy it when I’m out and about, although I’m not a convert at home because I have so many books here and my shelves would look pretty silly with just a Kindle sitting on them. You said you do all your marketing, what’s your method?
Siggy: I spent most of my trawling social network sites and am just breaking out into the dating scene websites again because that’s where my readers are—not among other writers.
Morgen: That’s interesting. It makes sense to find your target audience. Do you have a favourite of your books or characters? If any of your books were made into films, who would you have as the leading actor/s?
Siggy: I’d love to see my novel on dating in film. My agent suggested Goldie Hawn. I’d love Meg Ryan for the role of sassy Cherie, the former matchmaker gone internet dating.
Morgen: Did you have any say in the title / covers of your book? How important do you think they are?
Siggy: My husband and I had the idea for the cover. A cover artist, Donna Casey, put it together for me.
Morgen: What are you working on at the moment / next?
Siggy: I’m finishing up I one had a Farm in Ireland, based on my previous life on an organic farm. After that a novel, also playing in Ireland. It deals with the child abuse scandal in the Catholic Church. This is a real story that happened to my former housekeeper. Incredibly sad, compelling stuff.
My new writers’ blog has been keeping me busy and also working on my PR. You can either write or promote your work unless you do night shifts as well.
Morgen: Almost. Do you manage to write every day? Do you ever suffer from writer’s block?
Siggy: I write something every day, even if it’s only a blog post. If I have no inspiration, I spend way too much time with social networking and justify it to myself as a vital necessity. If I totally switch off, an idea jumps into my head and I can continue.
Morgen: I’m the same and very lucky that I have loads of them. Do you plot your stories or do you just get an idea and run with it?
Siggy: The latter.
Morgen: Me too, and most interviewees are like that – perhaps how the brain is wired. Do you have a method for creating your characters, their names and what do you think makes them believable?
Siggy: So far most of my characters were taken from real life. Sometimes I had to blend them together to guard their anonymity.
Morgen: Do you write any non-fiction, poetry or short stories?
Siggy: I mentioned the short-stories before. More difficult for me as I never much liked reading them because I had to do that a lot at school in German, French and English classes…ad nauseam. I love writing political articles but now I concentrate on my primary work at hand to finish novel #2 and get #3 going.
Morgen: I’m the opposite. Well, sort of. I used to devour novels in my teens (Stephen King mostly) but the last few years has been mainly short stories. Do you do a lot of editing or do you find that as time goes on your writing is more fully-formed?
Siggy: Edit, edit, edit. When I think I’m done, my husband’s starts all over again…
Morgen: Do you have to do much research?
Siggy: Since my novels are based on my life, I lived it and I draw from memory. The new one about child abuse is different. The research there is quite extensive. It involves a lot of phone calls to Ireland with my former housekeeper.
Morgen: She’s a very brave woman to let her story out. Some writers like quiet, others the noise of a coffee shop etc., do you listen to music or have noise around you when you write or do you need silence?
Siggy: Definitely quiet. As a teenager and young adult in school I had the radio going in the background and I thought it didn’t distract me. Now it does.
Morgen: Me too. I can’t have other people’s words going on if I’m trying to think of my own. What point of view do you find most to your liking: first person or third person?
Siggy: First person.
Morgen: Do you have pieces of work that you think will never see light of day?
Siggy: No, I’m foolhardy enough to publish them somewhere.
Morgen: What’s your favourite / least favourite aspect of your writing life? Has anything surprised you?
Siggy: Waiting for my husband to edit and check for mistakes. I am an English teacher but still make mistakes. You will have noticed that English is not my mother’s tongue.
Morgen: I hadn’t actually. We all make mistakes, mainly because we’re too close to whatever we’re doing, plus we’re human. What advice would you give aspiring writers?
Siggy: Write regularly, write about what you know. If you have a vivid imagination – which I don’t have – get creative and enjoy that. I’m jealous of you then!
Morgen: If you could invite three people from any era to dinner, who would you choose and what would you cook (or invite three people, hiding the takeaway containers)?
Siggy: I’ll have a leisurely meat fondue. No preparation and plenty of time for talking. Who with? Victor Hugo (Les Miserables), Mark Twain and Simone de Beauvoir.
Morgen: Ooh, I love fondue, especially French bread and cheese. Is there a word, phrase or quote you like?
Siggy: Malapropisms; I love Latin quotes like “suum quique”(each to his own); "Variatio delectat"; Edmund Burke “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”
"I can resist anything but temptation." Oscar Wilde
Morgen: Are you involved in anything else writing-related other than actual writing or marketing of your writing?
Siggy: I’m a member of the National League of American Pen Women; the new writers’ blog: www.Writersgettogether.blogspot.com.
Morgen: What do you do when you’re not writing?
Siggy: I love gardening, although it’s mostly too hot here in Florida, I used to knit really colourful sweaters until I had to stop because of my neck problems.
Morgen: Oh dear. I can’t wear mohair as it drives me nuts. Are there any writing-related websites and / or books that you find useful?
Siggy: Dictionary.com; wordsmith.com;
Morgen: They’re great aren’t they. Are you on any forums or networking sites? If so, how valuable do you find them?
Siggy: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn. I find Twitter doesn’t do anything for me. I’m a member of a writers group on FB that is quite active called Literary Guild.
Morgen: I’m on those three as well and for me they serve very different purposes. That sounds rather clinical and I do enjoy them but it’s all too easy to lose hours on them so I tend to keep Twitter on mentions rather than timeline (because I follow too many people) and Facebook on my homepage when I don’t have time to spare. What do you think the future holds for a writer?
Siggy: There will be more and more competitors because it’s so easy to self-publish. Because of that and the freebies that go with it, I’m afraid, income will dwindle even further. You really have to love it and feel compelled about your writing.
Morgen: I do. Where can we find out about you and your work?
Siggy: www.Nexttimelucky.com is pretty comprehensive. So is the active blog that goes with it: www.Nexttimelucky.blogspot.com.
Facebook; scribd; also check out my other blogs: www.Inandoutofireland.blogspot.com and www.writersgettogether.blogspot.com.
Morgen: Is there anything else you’d like to mention?
Siggy: I love connecting with other writers thru social networking. That’s why I started the Writers Get Together blog. Also to give them / us / me self-published ones a leg-up.
Morgen: And I’m sure they’re so appreciative – everyone involved with my blog has been. Is there anything you’d like to ask me?
Siggy: How much time do you spend on interviewing people? Sounds like a day job to me… How long have you been doing it? Why?
Morgen: (a) because I enjoy it. I started the blog on 31st March 2011 and was invited for a blog interview a couple of months later. I’d already been doing audio interviews (as the interviewer) for my podcast and enjoyed them. Having been sent a Q&A for the blog, I realised how much easier that was so started the blog interviews (at two-a-day initially!) then fizzled out the audio interviews by the end of July. It is pretty much a day job as I post one interview every morning and then something else every evening. The bulk of my spare time is spent dealing with emails but I love talking writing and most of the authors are independents, like me, who appreciate any help anyone can give them in their writing and / or promoting their books. I’m still working on the latter for mine.
Thank you, Siggy. Hope to see you back here sometime.
Siggy Buckley is a 50-ish year-old German, formerly a teacher, small business owner, and now writer who lived in Ireland for 15 years as a result of her then-husband taking his family to an organic farm, there. She has also taught at the University of Limerick. After the break-up of her marriage, she morphed myself into an entrepreneur, first a matchmaker and then wine importer. She married an Irish American in 2005 and dabbles in blogging & writing.
If you are reading this and you write, in whatever genre, and are thinking “ooh, I’d like to do this” then you can… just email me and I’ll send you the questions. You complete them, I tweak them where appropriate (if necessary to reflect the blog ‘clean and light’ rating) and then they get posted. When that’s done, I email you with the link so you can share it with your corner of the literary world. And if you have a writing-related blog / podcast and would like to interview me… let me know. You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything… and follow me on Twitter where each new posting is automatically announced. You can also read / download my eBooks and free eShorts at Smashwords.
Unfortunately, as I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t review books but if you have a short story or self-contained novel extract / short chapter (ideally up to 1000 words) that you’d like critiqued and don’t mind me reading it / talking about and critiquing it (I send you the transcription afterwards so you can use the comments or ignore them) on my ‘Bailey’s Writing Tips’ podcast, then do email me. They are weekly episodes, usually released Monday mornings UK time, interweaving the recordings between the red pen sessions with the hints & tips episodes. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays.

Share this:

• Print
• Email
• Facebook
• Twitter2
• 
  
• LinkedIn
• StumbleUpon
• Digg
• Reddit
• 
  

About morgenbailey

Writing group lead (since March 2008) of critique and writing workshops, 'Bailey's Writing Tips' podcaster since August 2010 and WordPress blogger since late March 2011... oh and sometimes in between I write. :)

View all posts by morgenbailey »

Leave a comment Posted by morgenbailey on February 13, 2012 in ebooks, non-fiction, writingI rpomote mysel