The Wandering Widow- Day 12

I could never have become a professional writer without Ralph Reed.

About 20 years ago I wrote for a fun magazine that my friend Crista McClure-Swan created for moms who worked from home. I wrote some articles and I had a column called The Reading Room where I reviewed books that I usually read in the tub.

 "The Reading Room," get it?

Anyway, I had always wanted to be a writer (I had always wanted to be an actress really, but some people put the kibosh on that!) and after writing for about a year for the magazine (Did I get paid? Maybe...) Ralph and I sat down and figured out how to make that dream a reality.

"Go ahead and quit your job (as a telephone sales rep- ugh) and figure it out," he said. "If you're published in a national publication, you're a writer. If not, maybe you need to find something else to do."

So two major things to remember: We needed two paychecks and...this was before the Internet, kids.

Off to the library, I went. I studied the Writer's Digest, the market and how to send a query- SASE. 

Within a few months, an article on spec I sent to a very old women's magazine published my story and sent me a check for $150!

I was on my way!

I'm still writing- although it's extremely difficult without my main editor and muse- I hope to continue until I meet up with him again.

 I'm sure he'll have a lot of story ideas by then for me.






 

Writing while Broken

It's been four months since I blogged, but I have a great excuse- I fell down.

Backwards. Really far. In Colorado, a week after my last post.

I'll spare you the details except to say my right wrist- my writing hand- broke in 12 pieces. It was quite dramatic.

Anyway, I am still healing, but while I was broken I continued to write- albeit painfully

slower and with only one finger.

A writer writes!

And we continued to travel and we will in 2018. On this last day of 2017- a horrible, very good year- the Los Angeles Times published my essay about living on the road.

http://beta.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-reed-rv-life-is-not-so-bad-20171231-story.html

Enjoy and happy New Year!

Back to Business

Last month's blog posts were brought to you by The Husband- who thinks he deserves  to celebrate his birthday for an entire month- like a teenage girl.

Pam and The Husband(on the right)  playing croquet.

The problem is- I indulge his funny, joie de vivre lifestyle- but someone has to be the grown-up, and that my friends, is me.

While he is at the beach sitting next to pretty girls and cute gay guys, I am back at the homestead writing articles. While he is riding his bike down the coast highway I am back at the RV looking for more writing gigs so we can afford to eat.

Those damn mai tais don't grow on trees, ya know!

To be fair, the only check that is regularly deposited in our bank account like clockwork is his social security check and pension from the Grocers Union- so I suppose he can run/jump/and play all he wants- but next year- can we keep it to a 15- day celebration, because I can't keep up!