tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post3541568871003540184..comments2024-03-28T19:36:39.783-04:00Comments on Jungle Red Writers: Firsts? Our checkered pasts...Jungle Red Writershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646429819267618412noreply@blogger.comBlogger84125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-20039918732609000572022-08-28T09:10:06.355-04:002022-08-28T09:10:06.355-04:00It is not necessarily a straight line.It is not necessarily a straight line.Ellen M. Kozakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18342774310814059158noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-48070730485552777812022-08-28T08:15:25.066-04:002022-08-28T08:15:25.066-04:00I was always good at writing, but Barnard, in my d...I was always good at writing, but Barnard, in my day, had only one (nonfiction) writing class-- and John Kowenhoven, its instructor, didn't "get" science fiction. So I stopped writing it until I couldn't stop. Meanwhile, I wrote humor, features, non-fiction, won a prize, kept writing. I've found that if I get a contract, I will always finish the book because I don't want to give the advance back. We all have our goads.Ellen M. Kozakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18342774310814059158noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-89609889616804702942022-08-27T14:57:01.739-04:002022-08-27T14:57:01.739-04:00I was writing from age 5, had articles and short s...I was writing from age 5, had articles and short stories published in my 30s after 8 years as a teacher. First novel wasn't published until age 40. But plenty of live experience to draw on now! <br />Gillian Harveynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-69458687274363465402022-08-27T08:28:51.523-04:002022-08-27T08:28:51.523-04:00You are very welcome, Ann. ElisabethYou are very welcome, Ann. ElisabethAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-58492263046521802572022-08-26T19:12:12.952-04:002022-08-26T19:12:12.952-04:00How kind of you to say that. Thank you. At the a...How kind of you to say that. Thank you. At the age of 50 with my life experiences, I think I was in a better position to appreciate Jane Austen. And I am more attuned to language as I get older for some reason.Bibliophilehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07764234701385787238noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-73809200706951996372022-08-26T18:58:01.406-04:002022-08-26T18:58:01.406-04:00Why thank you Elisabeth! Why thank you Elisabeth! Annnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-31052450372299155832022-08-26T17:35:56.433-04:002022-08-26T17:35:56.433-04:00Lorraine, what a great story. Congratulations!
Lorraine, what a great story. Congratulations!<br />triss Stiennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-10125023702906398682022-08-26T17:34:20.174-04:002022-08-26T17:34:20.174-04:00Halllie, love this!
Halllie, love this!<br />Triss Steinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-7871093662574982532022-08-26T17:32:38.463-04:002022-08-26T17:32:38.463-04:00I was 47. I have no explanation for this; I wanted...I was 47. I have no explanation for this; I wanted to be a writer since I was a child but it took me a long time to get started. I wrote 2 books and the publisher dropped the mystery line just about the time I turned in a third. (sigh) That year also included turmoil in the daytime career and major health issues. I was 67 when the next book was published...but there have been 4 since then, plus some stories. Mysterious, isn't it?Triss Steinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-5088322991943231232022-08-26T16:33:56.203-04:002022-08-26T16:33:56.203-04:00BTW: I fixed your wonderful Gazpacho recipe for di...BTW: I fixed your wonderful Gazpacho recipe for dinner last night (along with my husband's contribution, what we call a Galician omelet), and it was just delicious. Thank you for that recipe, which is now in my permanent cookbook binder of favorite recipes. Elizabeth Varadanhttp://elizabethvaradansfourthwish.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-2105595075149374622022-08-26T15:57:41.302-04:002022-08-26T15:57:41.302-04:00Good for you, Kathy, getting your Masters in your ...Good for you, Kathy, getting your Masters in your 40s! My oldest daughter did the same, and it was so satisfying for her. Going back to school at an older age is a vastly different experience than as a teenager, isn't it? Karen in Ohiohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18002794561817071780noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-64857179247577389652022-08-26T15:53:15.409-04:002022-08-26T15:53:15.409-04:00Woohoo, Lorraine! Congratulations. It's never ...Woohoo, Lorraine! Congratulations. It's never too late, for sure.Karen in Ohiohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18002794561817071780noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-38902260604774126222022-08-26T15:44:25.669-04:002022-08-26T15:44:25.669-04:00Sounds like you're (more than) ready to tackle...Sounds like you're (more than) ready to tackle getting published. I always recommend going to a conference for your genre (mystery; children's lit; whatever) and make appointments with agents there and talk to other writers tryng to find a publisher.Halliehttp://hallieephron.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-13836333134844749952022-08-26T15:40:45.757-04:002022-08-26T15:40:45.757-04:00Don't think of it as life getting in the way; ...Don't think of it as life getting in the way; think of it as research.Halliehttp://hallieephron.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-27818939458023628862022-08-26T15:39:30.961-04:002022-08-26T15:39:30.961-04:00Wow! You are definitely going strong, Elizabeth. C...Wow! You are definitely going strong, Elizabeth. Congratulations on such a prolific output! At a time when everyone tells us we're supposed to be "slowing down"Halliehttp://hallieephron.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-20223631339554426382022-08-26T15:37:58.223-04:002022-08-26T15:37:58.223-04:00... and as I always wonder, how will I know when I...... and as I always wonder, how will I know when I *am* "grown up"?Halliehttp://hallieephron.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-26947824268904002672022-08-26T15:37:09.365-04:002022-08-26T15:37:09.365-04:00Loved your comment, Diana - Wondering how WAS Jane...Loved your comment, Diana - Wondering how WAS Jane Austen, read at 50? So exciting that you're writing. We'll want updates!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-28347186357380384002022-08-26T15:33:29.696-04:002022-08-26T15:33:29.696-04:00So interesting to read this, Kathy - Wow. Maybe th...So interesting to read this, Kathy - Wow. Maybe there's still a book in you? Please finish it before you show it to anyone... it'll be the book only you can write.Halliehttp://hallieephron.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-5643728457486042792022-08-26T15:29:28.365-04:002022-08-26T15:29:28.365-04:00All the women I know in the movie/tv business have...All the women I know in the movie/tv business have had to hide their age. So insane. Halliehttp://hallieephron.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-41413621016707343812022-08-26T15:27:17.779-04:002022-08-26T15:27:17.779-04:00I have finally broken the comment limit. I have h...I have finally broken the comment limit. I have had to post in two sections. Sorry, it's kind of a cathartic piece of writing today.<br /><br />Then (oh this is a long saga, isn't it), in my late 40s I took a step I had wanted to for years. I started working on my masters in library science. I loved my classes so much and was able to concentrate on them now with one child in high school and one in college and my husband back in the Army away in D.C. I didn't rush it and finished the Masters in four years. 2006 saw my daughter graduate from college, my son graduate from high school, and me graduate from my Masters program. In my final written test, which consisted of five or six questions to write a paper on, the professor who I thought was the most impressive wrote on my test that she and the others were glad I was graduating because my writing rather intimidated them. What? I still think she was on some kind of mind-altering drug. There were some suggestions that I do the work to become a professor, but, once again, I was happy to accept the praise and mosey along. I did apply for a couple of school librarian jobs, but by this time I was encountering a hiring culture of hiring younger people. Also, I thought that public librarianship might be interesting, but it also seemed to be a wall of age discrimination. I was okay though, as I was traveling more then and starting a book blog around 2009, and I became a grandmother in 2009.<br /> <br />So, I have been content to review books on my blog and do an occasional piece of writing here and there for my blog or another reading platform. I was going to book events and went to Bouchercon in 2013 for the first time. Once I was a part of this wonderful mystery/crime community, I knew I'd found my people and my place of passion in the reading world. Meeting the Reds at that first Bouchercon was a major step in connecting with my favorite authors. I had concentrated on catching up on many of the Reds' books before that Bouchercon in Albany, so the personal connection was such a thrill. So, traveling and going to Bouchercons and reading and reviewing were a wonderful life, along with my family, of course. Then 2020 and my world became much smaller, but learning new ways to connect and communicate were soon helping bridge that in-person gap. Although I'm not going to be at this year's Bouchercon, I am breathing easier about starting to travel again, and now I might have to finally decide if there's something I want to be when I grow up that I haven't tried yet. I'm giving myself two more years (well a year and a half) until I turn 70 to decide. Kathy Boone Reelnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-4497604870535731042022-08-26T15:25:26.368-04:002022-08-26T15:25:26.368-04:00When I was in second grade, my teacher took two st...When I was in second grade, my teacher took two stories I'd written to the principal and had me read them to her. They both told me what good stories they were. That was the first time I ignored a clue. Still in elementary school, in the 4th or 5th grade, a friend and I wrote a play steeped in archeological findings of mummies and such treasure. We were given the nod from our teacher to put the play on for the whole school. Now, I ignored both the writing bug and the archeological bug. Also in elementary school, I fell in love with the library due to the librarian Miss Root and, of course, books. Although I would always be interested in archeology, the interests in reading and libraries and writing had taken root. In junior high school, I met the most wonderful Mrs. Foley, English teacher and librarian, who cemented my leanings toward a degree in English later. High school was a mixed bag of confidence in my writing skills, winning some awards for non-fiction type pieces but struggling with fiction ones. I had a creative writing teacher from whom I learned much but who was very hard-core critical. <br /><br />Being valedictorian of my graduating class didn't seem to be much help in moving towards a direct line for a career, but I did know I wanted to major in English. My mother influenced me to get a secondary teaching degree, too, because it was still a safe choice in the early and mid-seventies. I knew I didn't want to go into anything touching math and pretty much shied away from science, too. So, in college I had a professor, Dr. Cheesewright (what a name, right), who wrote on one of my papers that I had certainly chosen the right field in choosing an English degree. Another lovely moment of recognition which I chose to cherish but not run with. <br /><br />Of course, I went into teaching English after graduating, but I also got married right after college graduation, so that was of major importance to me, to do a good job at marriage, and I wanted children. So, my 20s comprised of graduating from college, getting married, teaching for a while, deciding I didn't like teaching, going to work for my husband's retail business, and trying to have a baby. The last two items. I thought it would be great to work in my husband's family business and jumped into learning accounting I would have to use in the office. I was shocked that someone like me, who did not like numbers, enjoyed working with them in this atmosphere. I did payroll and tax reports and profit & loss statements, and I liked it. Of course, working in a family business is fraught with land mines to work around. I became the office manager, which also allowed me to take off when I needed to as I dealt with infertility and trying to have a baby. After some surgery and an ectopic pregnancy, I finally had my baby girl at age 29, turning 30 two months later. I had my second child at age 33.<br /><br />So, the 30s and most of the 40s were spent raising my children and working in our business and later going back to work in the schools, first elementary and then secondary, with writing. The students had to have writing portfolios, and I was a writing tutor. I loved working with the students on their writing, because I firmly believed each student had something to say. Of course, some students were naturally better at it than others and some took direction better than others, but I loved being able to help a student learn to express him/her self in a way they didn't realize they could. (Comments to be continued in next post)<br /><br />Kathy Boone Reelnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-73622454559459565222022-08-26T15:25:18.421-04:002022-08-26T15:25:18.421-04:00You go girl!!You go girl!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-67809449897336076762022-08-26T15:19:51.028-04:002022-08-26T15:19:51.028-04:00Ann, reading about your nursing path has helped me...Ann, reading about your nursing path has helped me to support a dear young friend who earned her RN in December 2021at 34. She has been passionate about nursing since her junior year in high school, began studying on graduation, but...a marriage to a controlling abuser, a parent who told her better to marry than study, two beautiful daughters, a divorce, a new marriage full of all good things, a son whose birth gave her a maternity leave to commit to nursing school and leave a boring job...And here she is living her dream. Thank you for supporting me through her ups and downs. Never doubted her, but when she was weakening, you helped me say "yes, my dear, you can do this." ElisabethAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-74241452646500103582022-08-26T15:13:05.414-04:002022-08-26T15:13:05.414-04:00I did! My favorite uncle was a journalist and non-...I did! My favorite uncle was a journalist and non-fiction author in San Francisco (still is, at 95), and I remember when his first and only novel came out. He and my father (brothers-in-law) carried on a decades-long written correspondence, and Dick has been finding and sending me stacks of those letters recently. He's so freakin' proud of me now (as Daddy would be, had he lived long enough). ^)Edith Maxwellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01388006370860482509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-4256248255062348172022-08-26T15:08:52.626-04:002022-08-26T15:08:52.626-04:00My first play was produced and subsequently publis...My first play was produced and subsequently published when I was 26. I got my first TV job at - an age I can't reveal because I still have to hide my age in television, especially in comedy. Yup. Sad but true. Which means I can't tell you how old I was when my first book was published!Ellen Byronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03491931917758692660noreply@blogger.com