{"id":1313,"date":"2013-03-08T17:11:13","date_gmt":"2013-03-09T01:11:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/?p=1313"},"modified":"2019-04-27T09:47:03","modified_gmt":"2019-04-27T16:47:03","slug":"unsung-writers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/2013\/writing\/unsung-writers\/","title":{"rendered":"Unsung Writers"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Random

Inside Random House, New York<\/p><\/div>\n

Now that I\u2019ve immersed myself in all manner of writerly pursuits, I\u2019m discovering wonderful writers who have no fame. They\u2019re a mixture of talents\u2014some who\u2019ve been at the game for decades, others who are just starting. And yet, they all have something to say and they say it well.\u00a0 Their talents may vary but their common denominator is their readership. It\u2019s\u00a0small in comparison to those who favor the blockbuster novelists, the ones on the best seller lists, the ones whose names are as well-known as the names of Hollywood celebrities.<\/p>\n

The writing business is like that. Not everyone who is any good gets the acclaim they deserve. You work and work and work, and hope and hope and hope that your words will register with more than a few.<\/p>\n

\"Ernest_Hemingway_1923_passport_photo\"<\/a>

Passport photo of Hemingway when he was married to Hadley, 1923
From Wikipedia<\/p><\/div>\n

This came to mind the other night when I was reading another chapter of The Paris Wife\u00a0by\u00a0Paula McLain. It\u2019s the story of\u00a0 author, Ernest Hemingway<\/a> and his wife Hadley. It\u2019s also about Hemingway’s early years as an unsung writer. What set him apart from many other struggling writers was his passion for his craft. He dreamt large. And when his wife accidentally left three years of work on a train, he naturally sank into the doldrums, but after a short while, he picked himself up and started anew. Gertrude Stein, a friend of his at the time, thought the incident was a lucky one. It forced him to reconsider what he\u2019d written. Some other writer might\u2019ve given up, but he didn\u2019t and now we sing his praises.<\/p>\n

With\u00a0self publishing today, there are even more countless unsung writers than in Hemingway’s time. I admire their gumption even though some should\u2019ve left their work on their computers or in their desk drawers.\u00a0Finding good stories to read is like mining in that murky stream; there are gems,\u00a0if only we look.<\/p>\n

\"Escape\"

Click on Escape to go to Peregrin Publishing to purchase<\/p><\/div>\n

One book I highly recommend is one I was a part of ( ha ha). \u00a0An excerpt from my grandmother\u2019s story (the one I\u2019m still writing) is in this lovely book.\u00a0 I know it\u2019s a bit of self-promotion but ESCAPE, an anthology, is full of many unsung writers with talent\u2014short story writers, essayists, poets, and even graphic storytellers. It\u2019s also a book that\u2019s illustrated by artists, also unsung.<\/p>\n

Some of the writers in Escape have been published many times, like Kristin Butcher<\/a> and Jocelyn Reekie<\/a>. Kristin\u2019s story, Waltzing Annie Home<\/em>, is about an old woman\u2019s waltz back in time\u2014full of heart and heartache. \u00a0Jocelyn Reekie\u2019s Of Whales And Men<\/em> takes the reader on a journey under the sea to witness an encounter with a whale, so vivid you know she’s\u00a0 plunged those depths herself. Others like Sheena Lynn Gros<\/a> are newbies, but nonetheless their talent is huge. Sheena\u2019s story, The Doorway<\/em>, will make you shudder and wonder what it means to be a family and how so many get it wrong. D Ross Fisher\u2019s The Float Pilot<\/em> speaks of getting away from it all and how fate plays an unexpected role. Murvey Farewell<\/em> by Margaret Nyland speaks of youth and dreams and\u00a0young love and how one plays off the other not always with the desired results. \u00a0Jim Creighton\u2019s Escape<\/em> is a jewel of a story about a man with dementia who keeps trying for a solution to his problem, with startling results. Peter Davies<\/a>\u2019 Campbell Joe<\/em> is a graphic short story beautifully drawn; the ache and pain of a man down on his luck leap out of the pages.<\/p>\n

There is so much more: every story, every poem, every illustration in this anthology is worth a\u00a0visit.<\/p>\n

ESCAPE is just one example of work done by unsung writers. I plan to keep looking and finding gems like this one, too often hidden behind the bestsellers.<\/p>\n

Have you found a gem worth sharing? I’d love to hear about the treasures you found.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Now that I\u2019ve immersed myself in all manner of writerly pursuits, I\u2019m discovering wonderful writers who have no fame. They\u2019re a mixture of talents\u2014some who\u2019ve been at the game for… <\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4],"tags":[256,232,472,78,470,384,469,464,117,471,33,5],"class_list":["post-1313","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-writing","tag-anthology","tag-bestseller","tag-blockbuster","tag-diana-stevan","tag-ernest-hemingway","tag-escape","tag-jocelyn-reekie","tag-kristin-butcher","tag-novelist","tag-paris-wife","tag-writer","tag-writing-2"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1LuVB-lb","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":939,"url":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/2012\/writing\/a-writers-reflections-on-rowing\/","url_meta":{"origin":1313,"position":0},"title":"A Writer’s Reflections on Rowing","author":"Diana Stevan","date":"23 \u041a\u0432\u0456\u0442\u043d\u044f, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"I had the pleasure recently of rowing a boat in Central Park, New York. While paddling around on the lake, I got to thinking how much rowing is like writing. There are so many choices. You can go in circles getting nowhere, confused as to what direction to take. Or\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0423 "Writing"","block_context":{"text":"Writing","link":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/category\/writing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/P1110801-300x225.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2913,"url":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/2016\/writing\/a-writers-post-conference-blues\/","url_meta":{"origin":1313,"position":1},"title":"A Writer’s Post Conference Blues Brought On By The American Election","author":"Diana Stevan","date":"1 \u041b\u0438\u0441\u0442\u043e\u043f\u0430\u0434\u0430, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"A Fabulous Conference After attending the recent\u00a0Surrey International Writers Conference, you wouldn't think I'd come down with post conference blues. Not when it was such a fabulous event. It's the first time I'd volunteered. Previously, I had attended as a full participant, but this year I thought I'd do my\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0423 "Writing"","block_context":{"text":"Writing","link":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/category\/writing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"header","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/header-300x82.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1192,"url":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/2012\/writing\/ramblings-on-the-lowly-writer\/","url_meta":{"origin":1313,"position":2},"title":"Ramblings on The Lowly Writer","author":"Diana Stevan","date":"11 \u0413\u0440\u0443\u0434\u043d\u044f, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"As I navigate the waters of pitching, writing, editing, revising, and marketing, I wonder about this profession of writing.\u00a0 As a writer, I am\u00a0 expected to work for hours, days, months, years developing my craft, and honing that story, all at my own cost of time and energy. Since I'm\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0423 "Writing"","block_context":{"text":"Writing","link":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/category\/writing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/250px-Francisco_de_Goya_y_Lucientes_-_Gaspar_Melchor_de_Jovellanos.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1148,"url":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/2012\/writing\/escape-artist\/","url_meta":{"origin":1313,"position":3},"title":"Escape Artist","author":"Diana Stevan","date":"9 \u041b\u0438\u0441\u0442\u043e\u043f\u0430\u0434\u0430, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"The book launch for Escape, an anthology, published by a new group, Peregrin Publishing. took place at the Maritime Heritage Centre in Campbell River, on Nov. 10. We had a great crowd. There was music, a slide presentation of the printing process and readings. I'm one of 28 writers who've\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0423 "Art"","block_context":{"text":"Art","link":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/category\/art\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Escape.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":338,"url":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/2011\/writing\/to-market-to-market\/","url_meta":{"origin":1313,"position":4},"title":"To market, to market","author":"Diana Stevan","date":"20 \u041a\u0432\u0456\u0442\u043d\u044f, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"My latest Writer's Digest magazine steered me to Agent Jenny Bent\\'s blog where I found the post she'd written on the state of the writers' marketplace. She shared her views on publishing via the traditional route or self-publishing.\u00a0 The notion of doing it yourself appears to be the beginning of\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0423 "Writing"","block_context":{"text":"Writing","link":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/category\/writing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/P1070770-300x225.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3438,"url":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/2017\/writing\/siwc-an-exceptional-writers-conference-in-b-c\/","url_meta":{"origin":1313,"position":5},"title":"SIWC – An Exceptional Writers Conference in B.C.","author":"Diana Stevan","date":"19 \u0416\u043e\u0432\u0442\u043d\u044f, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"I\u2019m back from a wonderful holiday in the Maritimes. I\u2019ll post more about that later, but today, I\u2019m off to work at the Surrey International Writers Conference, held Oct. 19-22, at the Sheraton Hotel in Surrey, British Columbia. A great event with bestselling authors, agents, and editors from the USA\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0423 "Books"","block_context":{"text":"Books","link":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/category\/books\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Book-signing-ad.png?fit=1200%2C446&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Book-signing-ad.png?fit=1200%2C446&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Book-signing-ad.png?fit=1200%2C446&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Book-signing-ad.png?fit=1200%2C446&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Book-signing-ad.png?fit=1200%2C446&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1313","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1313"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1313\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1313"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1313"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1313"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}