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Recognitions

Vivian Reed and Janet Vincent

Welcome to Recognitions, where the writing successes of Writers’ Village University members are celebrated.

This month’s roster of writers demonstrates the key role of study groups for many of us at WVU. Pamela Ridley and Lisa Finch are the third and fourth members of Timeless Tales to be published this year. Sylvia Dickey Smith and Kathy Kubik of Persist & Publish credit their study group for their achievements. Donna Sundblad, Lisa and I all had stories accepted in the same anthology thanks to sharing news and feedback at the Non-Fiction Group. Janet Vincent, another member of that group, agreed to write my profile for this column.

Two announcements came my way since the April issue. Jim Hall wrote to let me know that the Dana Literary Quarterly is folding. One of his stories appears in the last issue. Also, Persist & Publish was recommended in the new book Your First Novel (by Ann Rittenburg and Laura Whitcomb) as an excellent and frequently updated resource. Now, let’s recognize the achievements of some hard-working writers here at WVU.


Pamela Ridley
Both of Pamela Ridley’s novels, Between Tears and Lies Too Long (to be released this month by Genesis Press), were critiqued through her WVU study groups, Hemingway Hall and Timeless Tales, and in the Mystery Completer class that WVU member Charity Tahmaseb facilitates. “The magic of WVU,” she says, “is that whatever a member is personally learning about and addressing in her own writing is what she shares through her critiques of my work. Through her feedback, my learning is enhanced and my writing skills are improved.”

Her novels can be ordered at bookstores or through Amazon.com, and Pam (as she’s known at WVU) maintains her own website. She pauses before describing the genre of her work, “I want to write romantic suspense, but I’ve been told my version of romance doesn’t reflect the market’s definition of romance, so I guess I write suspense with romantic elements.”

Pam found inspiration for her latest novel, Lies Too Long, in a newspaper article citing homicide as a leading cause of death among new and expectant mothers, particularly black women and those under 20. Her protagonist is a 40-year-old African American woman who gets pregnant after an impulsive affair. During the course of the story, she must fight to protect herself and the life of her unborn twins. “Sequel?” Pam asks. “None is planned, but I could see revisiting those characters and catching up with their lives at some point.”

Having completed two other manuscripts, Pam’s working on a third. “Sometimes, when a short story publishing opportunity pops up, I jump on it,” she adds. She also enjoys writing poetry, not for publication but to practice the more concise and emotionally rich wording of that art form.

During her childhood in St. Louis, Missouri, Pam had severe asthma. She links her first interest in writing to her curiosity about all the files of sick people in the doctor’s office where she made frequent visits. “Each person has a name and a family and their own story, and I wondered who they were and how life was working out for them,” she recalls.

Now, Pam lives in Maryland, a teacher and the mother of two sons in college. She enjoys watching movies and reading novels. “I read a variety of authors and many have a particular craft skill I envy, but I can’t say I have a favorite,” she says. “I like Stephen King. I think he’s the master of suspense although some of his books go on too long for me.”

Recently, Pam has found inspiration in the people she meets. “In the past, it was pretty easy for me to glom onto my computer and isolate while I dove headlong into the world of my characters,” she says. “More frequently now, simply talking to people and listening to their life’s experiences is great fodder.”

She does not advise imitating whatever trend is popular in fiction at the moment. “I’ve learned that you can write what you want to write (or in my case, what I would like to read) and disregard the marketplace,” she says, “only if you seriously don’t care if you are ever published. If you’re in no particular hurry to be overwhelmingly well-received, you can wait until the market shifts to where your sensibilities lie.”

The range of emotions she felt after her book was published summarizes the ups and downs of a writer’s life. “It made me feel validated for a few minutes,” she says. “Then I felt nervous about the marketing commitment required. Then I felt elated with my friends’ and coworkers’ reactions and support. I had a down moment when I got a couple of not-so-great reviews, but that can happen, and I recovered.”


Sylvia Dickey Smith
“I literally would not be where I am today if not for my study group, Persist & Publish,” says Sylvia Dickey Smith. Her novel Dance on His Grave will be released this month from L & L Dreamspell. She also has a story online in the Special Flash Fiction 2007 Issue of Apollo’s Lyre and one coming out in the anthology The Story That Must Be Told: True Tales of Transformation, to be published by Loving Healing Press in June. Sylvia keeps a calendar on her website, featuring signings and other promotional events

“WVU offers such a wealth of resources, both to new writers and to those who have years of writing under their belts,” Sylvia, or Syl as she’s known around WVU, continues. “Persist & Publish has been with me all the way through this journey. They reminded me to keep plowing through the discouraging times and held my nose to the grindstone when I faltered.” The study group offers weekly writing prompts and exercises as well as sharing critiques and advice. “Anytime I feel stumped,” Syl says, “I can go to P & P for resources or to post a question on the board.”

One year, five members of Persist & Publish met at San Diego State University’s writer’s conference. “When we met, it was like visiting old friends,” Syl recalls. “We bunked together, shared what we learned at the different breakout sessions, and came home rejuvenated.”

Syl includes her maiden name in her byline. “I’m sad to say I lost touch with that part of me for many years. I never want to do that again, so I keep that name in mine as a reminder of who I am, what I stand for and what I won’t stand for.” She grew up in Orange, Texas, a small town on the Louisiana border. She remembers trying to be a perfect middle child and at the same time feeling a void inside. “I’ve recently discovered that I had a vanishing twin,” she says, “a twin miscarried early in my mother’s pregnancy. Learning this has helped me understand why I felt the way I did the first half of my life.”

Now living in Round Rock, Texas with her husband, a retired colonel, Syl shares the responsibility of caring for her ailing mother with her sister. “I have four grown children and a step-daughter and fifteen grandchildren,” she says. “I have family get-togethers where we all hang out in the kitchen either cooking or cleaning.”

After finishing college and graduate school in her forties, Syl worked for many years in the human services field. She enjoys reading, especially Barbara Kingsolver, Nevada Barr, Dean Koontz, and her newest find, Dorien Grey. She also gardens and explores the swamps and rivers in the area in search of archaeological remains.

“When I retired at 62, I kept saying, ‘I want to write a book,’” Syl recalls. “”One day my friend said, ‘Sylvia, you keep talking about it. Go sit your butt in the chair and do it.’ I did.” She wakes up at 5:00 in the morning and goes to her writing room to work until about 9:00. After a break, she works on rewriting until lunch, and in the afternoon, she focuses on marketing and sales. “I’m one of those people who keep a lot of balls up in the air at the same time,” she says.

Syl already has a series planned featuring the protagonist of Dance on His Grave. Sidra (Sid) Smart is a recently divorced preacher’s wife trying to find her way. “The main character came from my own years spent in a conservative religion,” Syl says, “that placed its creeds above what I knew to be true, deep within myself.”

In the first book, Sid inherits a detective agency specializing in intuitive investigations. As she’s drawn into a case involving horrific memories of two sisters, she unleashes a chain of tragic events and puts her own life in jeopardy. The second book, tentatively titled “What the Eye Sees” and slated for release at the end of the year, Sid tries to clear a dead man from a double murder charge and gets entangled with a preacher and his missing wife.

When asked how she feels about completing a novel, Syl says, “Oh, that’s easy, one word: FANTASTIC!” The joy her family and friends have shown about Syl achieving published author status is gratifying for her, but she admits she felt numb when the publisher first offered her the contract. “I figured I’d wake up, or they would, and the offer would poof into whistle dust (whatever that is). But the next morning when I checked my e-mail, sure enough there was no message from them recalling the contract.”

Besides the “Third Eye” series, Syl also has a draft of a historical novel that takes place in the shipyards around Orange in World War II. “They made a major contribution to the war effort by building destroyers and destroyer escorts for the U.S. Navy,” Syl says. She’s also editing a book on the Ishak-Atakpa Indians who lived along the coast of Texas and has plans for a series on sunken ships of the Sabine and Neches Rivers.

As productive as she is, Syl says her inner critic is alive and well. “I keep rewriting, rereading and killing my darlings,” she explains. “Now I’ve learned to cut and paste those pretty things into a new document and save them for later.” She’s completed NaNoWriMo and learned how to get the first draft down fast without getting bogged down with corrections. She uses the free download “ReadPlease” to hear her words read out loud. “That way I can hear how the words I’ve strung together sound, and how the sentences flow, read in the voice of another.”

To new writers, Syl urges, “Dig in your heels and keep going. Don’t let anyone keep you from your writing goals.” She recommends being flexible and carving out small periods of time from family and work responsibilities. For submissions, Syl relies on “dogged determination” and queries agents and publishers by e-mail because “I figure if they are not in the twenty-first century, they are not the ones for me.” She feels writers should be aware of all the options available and try all approaches to achieve their writing goals.

Syl admits getting discouraged by rejections, saying, “Sometimes, I stopped for a day or two to lick my wounds, but I forced myself right back into the game and sent out more queries.” She concludes, “In the midst of rejections, remember WHY you write. If it is to be published, choose another line of work. If it is because you must write to breathe, then keep going.”


Kathy Kubik
“I am a mother, a wife, an employee, a sister and a daughter. All of these things make me who I am, but I need to honor that writer part of me, too,” says Kathy Kubik of her dedication to writing every day.

Kathy is a poet and a co-facilitator of the Persist and Publish study group at WVU. She maintains her own website and a page on AuthorsDen, and her poems have appeared in dozens of print and online magazines. Her fourth poetry chapbook, Universal, published by Moon Journal Press, is available online and directly from the author. You can e-mail Kathy at  Kathy_Kubik@hotmail.com for more information.

“With Universal, I felt it was my strongest book yet, and I was very proud of it,” Kathy recalls. Her three previous books were self-published, so she selected a few noteworthy presses, not knowing how long the submission process might take. “I sent it out, not expecting that Moon Journal Press, my first choice, would accept the book,” Kathy says. “It was even more special because my husband Jim had created the cover art for the book.” Along with their nine-month-old daughter Lucy, they celebrated together with a nice glass of champagne, popcorn and a movie.

“It is about patterns,” Kathy says of her chapbook, Universal, “those connected and disconnected like a broken circuit wire. It poses the question: Why are we here, and what are we to make of this mass of bone and matter? Of the spaces between our paths, and those that intersect, sometimes haltingly. It includes poems that travel through space and time and those places we’ve never visited and those we wish we had. It spans light years and those minutes that tick by slowly. It lays out the sheet that is the sky with the many holes that make up the stars.” Artwork and music inspire Kathy in her writing.

When she first joined WVU, Kathy took many poetry classes. “They really helped me,” she says. “I can’t say enough about the classes and facilitators at WVU.” She shares facilitating responsibilities at the Persist and Publish study group. “I came into the group with only my poetry background and now have drafted two novels,” Kathy says. “This group is very inspirational, and I have learned so much about writing a novel from the writers here.” Kathy has written short stories as well as her poems and novels.

As a second-grader, Kathy remembers writing plays, and starting in sixth grade, she wrote enough poems on themes like the seasons and family life to fill a chapbook each year. Her eighth grade writing teacher encouraged her to submit a short story she’d infused with her poetry to the Young Authors Contest. “My story was picked among hundreds of finalists, and I got to travel to the University of Illinois in Champaign for the ceremony,” Kathy says. “It was thrilling. I never thought other people would be entertained by my writing until then. That was when I knew I wanted to be a writer.

“But the important thing I want to note is that I always was a writer,” she continues. “Being a writer does not happen when a story or poem gets published and then you are magically a writer. Being a writer means that you write. It’s as simple as that. So I was a writer when I was putting together poetry books and plays when I was in grade school.”

Besides caring for her young daughter, Kathy works as a proposal writer for a Fortune 200 company. “My advice to anyone trying to balance work, family and a writing career is that it is possible,” she says. “Many people will tell you it’s not, and you might feel you need to wait until your children grow up until you pick up that pen again.” Kathy believes parents have special insights that need to be expressed while their children are still at home. She also feels that her pursuit of a writing career will be a good role model for her daughter. “I want her to believe that you should always follow your dreams, whatever they may be,” Kathy says. “I can’t teach that message unless I am doing the same thing myself.”

Kathy’s ideal writing day involves getting up early and writing for hours, getting lost in her own words. “The truth is I have a day job and I tend to run late in the morning,” she admits. “I have to steal time when I can.” She wrote an entire draft of a novel in three weeks during her lunches and breaks at work. She also sets aside an hour for writing after her daughter has fallen asleep at night. “An ideal writing day is when I sit down and write,” Kathy says, “no matter what.”

Writing prompts help Kathy when she’s stuck in a project. “When I’m not sure where to go next, a prompt can help unblock the way,” she says. “A great book is The Writer’s Book of Days by Judy Reeves. It has a prompt each day and also writing advice along the way.” Timed writings helped Kathy finish her NaNoWriMo novel draft. She recommends, “Just set a timer for 5, 10 or 15 minutes and don’t stop writing until the buzzer goes off. You’ll surprise yourself by what comes out.

“Trust your writing as something that comes as naturally as breathing,” Kathy continues. “Set aside that hour at night just as you would to brush your teeth or wash your face. Writing is a part of who you are. Honor that.”

Getting poems published can be particularly frustrating. “I think the poetry market today can sometimes seem difficult to break into,” she says. “There are so many contests, and to me it sometimes seems as if you need an MFA just to be considered for grants and awards.”

She finds that reading literary magazines helps her work in two ways. Discovering talented new poets inspires her, and finding a journal that publishes pieces similar to hers opens up a new possible market for her writing. “If you have a dream publication, as I have several, keep submitting,” Kathy says. “Your writing will naturally get better and better, and if you read the publication you are interested in, you will eventually break through. It takes people many times before they are accepted.”

Kathy warns against concentrating only on getting published and gaining recognition, however. “Your work doesn’t need to be in print to be worthy,” she says. “Write what is inside you. Get it all out, and then the publishing will naturally follow because you have something unique to share with the world.”


Donna Sundblad
“Joy shared is multiplied,” Donna Sundblad says of her experience after she and two other Non-Fiction Group members learned their stories were accepted for the same anthology. This generous attitude infuses her burgeoning writing career. Most people around WVU know Donna as Birdie and look for her column, “Birdie’s Quill,” each month in T-Zero.

Besides the column and her own website, The Inkslinger, Donna maintains several blogs, works as the fantasy topic editor at Inspired Author and contributes regularly to LoveToKnow. Two of her books are available in print and as e-books. Her novel, Windwalker, combines adventure and romance in a detailed fantasy world while Pumping Your Muse offers creative writing exercises. Donna’s short story “Caleb Sees the Light” appears in Light at the Edge of Darkness, an anthology of Christian speculative fiction published in April.

When she found out her essay “The World of the Pencil” would be published in The Serenity Prayer Project collection, Donna says she was thrilled. Adding, “The thing that makes the publication even sweeter is that I had posted the guidelines for this anthology in the Non-Fiction Group and two of my friends from there also submitted.”

After she learned that all of the stories were accepted, Donna says, “I probably walked around with a smile on my face for the next two days.” Five of her stories have been accepted for publication in anthologies. “As for celebrating,” she says, “I worked on another story for another anthology. We’ll see what happens.”

“World of the Pencil” originated as the first assignment for a WVU workshop called Hero’s Journey for Parents. “This story about my son’s struggles while growing up with learning disabilities and my own mental anguish as I tried to figure out what was best for him holds a special place in my heart,” Donna says.

Over the years, she’s participated in several WVU classes and study groups. Currently, she belongs to Middle Earth and the Non-Fiction Group and facilitates The Finish Line. “They each serve a purpose in my life as a writer,” Donna says. “The Finish Line helps me focus on what needs to be done and backs me up with accountability. Middle Earth is where I’m currently working on my next fantasy novel.” She posts creative non-fiction and articles at the Non-Fiction Group and has had several pieces published after taking advantage of peer feedback in that group.

“I’ve enjoyed writing as long as I can remember,” Donna says and recalls being chosen to write for her yearbook in the eighth grade in northern Illinois, where she lived for the first 38 years of her life. As an adult, she wrote poetry and a fan fiction novel. “I didn’t really take it seriously until I approached my fiftieth birthday,” she recalls. “I asked myself what I was waiting for. I started setting goals and gradually improved my craft, submitting and getting published.”

Last June, Donna took the step to become a full-time freelance writer and author and moved to a rural setting in northwest Georgia. For twelve years previous to that, she’d worked as a rental agent on an island off the southwest coast of Florida. “What a change for me,” she says, “It’s beautiful here. Right now, all the trees are blooming and I have my garden in.”

Donna describes her ideal writing day as “completing what I have to do and still having time to write something new.” To beginning writers, she says, “Don’t just think about it. Do it. Set a time limit or word count limit and aim toward it. Make it a habit.”

When asked to talk about her latest work, Donna admits, “That’s a hard question because I’m a project juggler. This week I’ve submitted two short stories and five nonfiction articles.” She’s completed the first draft of her next novel, “Beyond the Fifth Gate.” The story evolved from following the flip side exercises in Donna’s creative writing book, Pumping Your Muse. “I’m hoping to have the manuscript ready to submit by the end of the year,” she says. “At this point, I don’t think there’ll be a sequel, but you never know.”


Lisa Finch
After Lisa Finch learned her essay was accepted for the Serenity Prayer Project anthology, the first people to get the news were her children: Hailey (11), Matthew (10) and Ben (8). Her younger son predicted, “Mom, you’re going to be famous!” Later, her husband came home with chocolates for her, saying, “How’s my author?”

Lisa recalls receiving the news early in the morning before her children were awake. “At first I couldn’t bring myself to open the e-mail, for fear it was bad news. But, of course, I had to know, so I cringed as I opened it and hoped for the best. I think I stopped breathing for a few moments there when I saw my name on the list.” On top of the cards and congratulatory e-mails she’s received from friends, Lisa considers this interview part of the celebration.

After spending her childhood in the east end of Hamilton, Ontario, Lisa now lives in Forest, Ontario with her family. Her husband Chris works as a locomotive engineer. He’s on call 24/7, making his schedule unpredictable, but his income allows Lisa time to write and stay home with their children. “We have a busy household,” she says. An ideal writing day for her would be “no scheduled appointments, no phone calls, no interruptions. Just me, my computer, and my muse.”

Two of Lisa’s children have special needs. “Being an advocate for them is quite time-consuming but very rewarding,” she says. An article called "Fighting for Matthew's Future" about her son, who has autism, appeared in the Spring 2006 edition of McMaster Times. The essay to be published in the Serenity Prayer anthology describes the extra effort and unique rewards of caring for a child with special needs.

Lisa has also been working on a novel about a woman who loses the love of her life due to circumstances beyond her control. Inspired by actual events, the story focuses on her dilemma when she meets her love again fifteen years later and realizes their break-up was caused by a misunderstanding (a letter never received). “I wanted to write a story that answered the ‘what if’ question,” Lisa explains. She hopes to publish the novel under her maiden name, Walpole.

The study groups at WVU have helped Lisa with her fiction and non-fiction work. She posts her fiction at Hemingway Hall, her romantic fiction at Timeless Tales, and her essays at the Non-Fiction Group. “I’m in three groups and they’re all amazing,” she says. “I have learned so much from these incredibly talented writers. They are all so generous with their knowledge, from the business end to the craft itself, and also with their support and encouragement.

“I always thought my home was fiction, but over the last few years I’ve realized that I have something to say in the non-fiction genre,” Lisa continues. All of her published work so far is non-fiction. “I’m still working on breaking into the fiction market, just haven’t gotten there yet,” she says.

At eight years old, Lisa had already decided to become a writer. “When other kids were drawing pictures, I was writing stories,” she says. “I never really wanted to be anything else since then.” Her favorite authors include Stephen King, Barbara Kingsolver, Carol Shields, Amy Tan and Gail Anderson-Dargatz.

“Read as much as you can and as often as you can,” Lisa advises. “Learn from other writers and write every day.” She writes in the mornings when she feels she’s at her best. “I need quiet,” she says, “so that’s generally when the kids are at school.”

Lisa believes the inner critic serves a purpose. “The problem is knowing when to listen and when to ignore it,” she says. “I guess like most things, it’s a balancing act.” She suggests following the editor’s guidelines as closely as possible and treating each submission as unique. She says, “I try to submit often because it stands to reason, the more you submit, the greater your chances of being published.”

Note: To give a better perspective on me and my writing experience, Janet Vincent graciously agreed to write the following profile.


Vivian Reed (by Janet Vincent)
“I thought, 'Did I read this wrong?' So I read it over 3 or 4 times just to be sure.”

Vivian Reed’s reaction to the e-mail acceptance from Serenity Prayer Project was the first of a series of writing accomplishments in a week. On the heels of that e-mail, the first Recognitions column with her byline was published online and two articles for an insurance company newsletter were published.

In the beginning, Vivian wrote poems under different pseudonyms, but didn’t take her writing seriously. She now faces the “awkward situation of not mentioning the poems or explaining that I was a bubblehead who couldn’t even decide what name she wanted to be called!” She laughed, “Use pseudonyms sparingly!”

Her serious start in the writing world came with the F2K class of January 2006. The online format suited her schedule and she “could connect with other beginning writers…Week by week, we practiced different story techniques and gave feedback and support.” She joined Writers’ Village when the class ended. “It’s mind-boggling to think I’m interacting with writers of all levels of experience and ability from ALL OVER THE WORLD.”

Vivian is a member of The Finish Line study group where members share weekly, monthly and annual goals. Membership has grown under the leadership of the facilitator, Donna Sundblad (aka Birdie); her inspiring advice and examples attract writers of all levels. “For anyone frustrated or discouraged about their writing, I highly recommend this friendly and diverse group. The tireless encouragement the people there offer will definitely get you back on track.”

Credit for acceptance of her essay for the Serenity Prayer Project is due to the “energizing, non-competitive atmosphere” at the Non-Fiction Group. Donna, also a member of NFG, posted the call for submissions and her essay for the Project. After Vivian and Lisa posted their stories, members critiqued all their works before they submitted to the Project. “It’s very exciting to work on the same project with other writers, just another one of the unique advantages of belonging to WVU. When the news came that we’d all been accepted, there were lots of messages at the study group with lots of exclamation points.”

Vivian also works with the wonderful writers at Timeless Tales, most of whom are published and share advice. “They’re all romantics at heart and very nurturing to beginners.” She plans to post in that group after she completes a few more fiction classes.

In her challenging position with a Southern California corporation, Vivian manages people who expect to be downsized any day. During a particularly stressful time, she noticed the Serenity Prayer on a co-worker’s desk. Reading that prayer was instrumental in her decision to join a church and become a part-time employee. “I’d never put the experience into words, so I jumped at the opportunity.” Now, she has time to camp and hike with her husband and sons, read, and go to the movies.

Some of her favorite authors are Hans Christian Anderson, Louisa May Alcott, and Robert Louis Stevenson. Their books were her childhood “reliable companions and important people” of whom she “dreamed of growing up and being like.” After third grade, she wrote “eight or nine stories in a hardbound book with blank pages. I’d give a lot to see that notebook now!”

Vivian’s last three publications came from people she knows: a church friend and Donna Sundblad. “Look for writing opportunities close to home,” she says.” Maybe your writers’ group newsletter editor needs material or a small business needs promotional copy. Stranger things have happened.” To friends, writers, readers, and WVU staff, she adds, “THANKS A MILLION!”

Congratulations, Pam, Sylvia, Kathy, Donna and Lisa, and special thanks to Janet Vincent for her contribution. Your successes renew all of our writing aspirations. Many more writers at WVU have achieved writing success recently and will be featured in upcoming columns. Please contact me at recognitions@wvu.org about your acceptances, publications, e-launches or awards so your achievements will also be included. Be sure to use “T-Zero Recognitions” as part of the subject line.


About the Authors
Vivian Reed lives and writes in Long Beach, California. With the patient support of her husband and two sons, she is currently “transitioning” into a full-time writing career. Several of her poems have appeared in literary magazines, and before she became a mother, two of her plays were produced in the Los Angeles area. She is proud to write the Recognitions column for T-Zero: the Writers' E-zine.

Janet Vincent has been a member of WVU since November 2003 and North Florida Writers since July 2005. She travels with her hubby in their RV, seeking material for travel, human interest, and inspirational articles. Her commercial copywriting efforts provide business services for clients. She hosts an interviews column, Press Conference, for Eloquent Stories.