Every month, I will email a newsletter with writing tips and updates from this platform and a whole lot more. Each issue will include marketing tips, new markets for writers and several articles related to writing.
Three Children’s Books Completed and Two More On The Way
Three Children’s Books Completed and Two More On The Way
By Marcella S. Meeks
Several editors have called me a prolific writer because of the amount of stories I have written and submitted the past few years. What can I say? I love to write, bottom line.
My greatest passion (I have more than one!) is writing Christian children’s stories. I have written many stories and most of them have been published by favorite three magazines, Primary Treasure, Our Little Friend, and Guide Magazines. I have a collection of published stories in both Primary Treasure and Guide, with only one published in Our Little Friend.
Since I do have a collection of stories for readers ranging from 6-14 years old, I have separated both set of stories and compiled them into two age appropriate books.
Showers of Blessings (Book #1) is a unique collection of Christian children’s stories for readers 6-9 years old. It is based on true events and happenings that occurred at some point in my life. Each of the stories in this book has been published in past issues of Primary Treasure magazine (Pacific Press). Each individual story in this collection is different. I used characters in my imagination that fit the personality of each real life individual that this happened to in life, including my own. I must warn you that if you read a story in this collection, and you say to yourself, ‘oh my, that is familiar – that sounds like something that happened to me!’, chances are, it is, and it did happen to you but in the story it is a different character. Each story is Christian based, and it’s main intention is to share with my readers how much Jesus loves each of us. (This book is 18,194 words).
One publisher I submitted this book offered to publish my book if I paid him $6000 up front but I refused because this book stands on its own and will be published by a traditional publisher who values it’s true worth. But I do appreciate what this publisher told me. He said that the stories in my book ‘are well written, and included lessons to help and encourage our kids as they navigate this stage in life, … they are wholesome and point to Jesus. S. Lowry.” I couldn’t agree more. Even though it’s tempting not to give in and buy the first 250 copies up front, I know that the right publisher is going to seize this book, put it in the hands of young readers all across the country who need Jesus in their lives. I am confidant that this book, and the other two that follows, will find a publishing home before the end of this year.
Blessings From Above (Book #2), also a unique collection of Christian children stories is based on true events and happenings in my life, as well. This book is for readers 10 -14 years old. Each of the stories in this book has been published in past issues of Guide magazine (Pacific Press). (This book is 10,346 words).
In His Kingdom (Book #3) another unique collection of Christian children’s stories that have not been published elsewhere and stands alone, is also based on true events and happenings that occurred at some point in my life and is for readers 6-9 years old. (This book is 22,207 words).
The first three books are in the hands of a publisher as we speak, in hopes that they’ll be accepted for publication within the next few months. Pray for me as I move forward with Book #4 and #5 in this series – they won’t be ready until the latter part of 2024.
If you’d like to review these three books, email me at marcies1960@aol.com. I would like a review no more than 500 words on each book and I will post each review on this site accordingly. I can send a copy via Word or pdf…
Warmest Wishes,
Marcella S. Meeks
“What advice would you give to your teenage self?”
“What advice would you give to your teenage self?”
By Marcella S. Meeks
02/20/2023
I am almost 63 years old now. Things were so different when I was a teen-ager. Times were different. I noticed boys when I was probably twelve or thirteen. And I was married by the time I was fourteen and I had my first baby at fifteen.
I left home when I was fourteen and I lost that bond with my mama then. I suffered physical and verbal abuse from my husband who was only four years older than me. It wasn’t fair but I grew into that life and didn’t know that there was a better one than that.
I don’t know why my mama let me marry so young. She could have stopped me if she had wanted to but she didn’t even try. Didn’t she love me? She did. She just knew I…
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My Author Platform/Website Debate
I wasn’t sure exactly how I would approach building my platform (my presence, visibility) but after careful debate and consideration, this is what I came up with. Did you have any problems opening this page? Did it take too long to open in your browser? Your feedback is important to me so that I can improve my platform and make it easier for your viewing pleasure.
My platform/blog site is not nearly complete – I am adding moe and more content as I go.
I’m new at this so please feel free to offer insights, ideas and suggestions. You are welcome to email me at marcies1960@aol.com.
We Were Born To Write
By Marcella S Meeks
I have always loved to write. As far back as I can remember writing has always come easy for me, in any form or fashion. I’d like to think I was born that way. Even if it wasn’t, writing always came naturally for me. From day one when I first started writing, I was honing my craft with every piece I’d written. It was about three and a half years into my writing career before I received an acceptance letter. Every rejection letter I received was a learning experience to some degree. “It’s none of their business that you have to learn to write. Let them think you were born that way.– Ernest Hemingway.’
Sometimes, finding something to write about or something that moves me is tough, making the process of writing hard. Writers, both experienced and otherwise, go through dry periods and have trouble creating. A writer suffering from writers block is as real as a child with the chicken pox. Some writers are able to shake it a lot sooner than others.
When I am faced with finding something to write about or simply being stuck, search for quotes on my favorite subject, browse headlines in various magazines or read something interesting from the newspaper and turn it into a poem or short story. Sometimes I cheat by searching creative writing prompts online. It doesn’t matter as long s you are writing. I choose an interesting writing prompt and turn it into an article, short story or poem.
You were born to write – it is your calling. No one said you have to know how or know the rules. That is something you have to learn yourself. An infant doesn’t stay an infant very long. Toddlers no longer toddle at age six. They were born to learn and grow and that’s what they do.
So writers, let make use of our God-given talent that we were born with – nurture it, teach it and let it grow and write, write, write!
How I Became A Writer
By Marcella S. Meeks
When I was a little girl, I loved to write poems and short stories. I had a collection of my poems in a folder and during the summer months, I’d spend endless hours writing about the people around me. Reading was also a big part of my life. I spent endless hours during the summer months reading romance/suspense stories, which were my favourite. Occasionally, I’d try writing my own but they didn’t seem as exciting as the ones I read. I never dreamed I was paving my way to becoming a writer. Somewhere along the way, I dropped out of high school and started raising a family. Money was scarce and I put off any plans for the future that included writing..
Several years ago, after a nasty divorce and an attempt to obtain my freedom, I gave writing another try. Since it was something I was already good at, and the talent was still embedded in my heart, there was no reason why I shouldn’t take it up again. It made sense to me to nurture the craving that already existed and do something with the God-given talent that lay dormant all my adult years.
Many rejections later, I wandered if I had made the right choice. But in my heart, I knew it was the right decision.
Writing was a precious gift that needed to be trained and brought forth so I enrolled in a creative writing class. By the end of that class, I had already published one small essay. A couple of years later, I was working for the local newspaper writing front-page news and feature stories. Not without a price though. By the time the editor got through with my work, it looked more like hers than mine. Some of the stuff in those articles never came from this brain.
Since then, I have written for many newspapers, newsletters and small press publications and have managed to get published in hundreds of them. My work, with minor changes that the editor asked me to make, was my own work and my byline sure looked nice after each story or poem published.
Becoming a writer was easy but it was because the desire was already there – I tried writing stories when I was five or six and no one seemed to care – they’d never help me spell words and make sentences. But by the time I was in third grade, you can bet I was writing anything and everything humanly possible. I was amazed with books and magazines and read eagerly. It was a part of my life, my being. Little did I know that all this was a bridge to my writing future?
Don’t ever be fooled into thinking that writing isn’t hard work – it is, and it requires patience and time. Revision and editing is essential in the success of every story, article or poem you write. I have spent endless hours rewriting a story and it still didn’t get accepted.
Writers have to realize too that everything they write isn’t a masterpiece no matter how good one thinks it is. I started writing a book several months ago and several people thought it would be the next bestseller. Harlequin Romances requested to see a full manuscript – but you know what – it still hasn’t landed a home yet. My romance/suspense book is still unpublished. It may have been a masterpiece in some people’s eyes but thus far, it continues to be rejected. But I’m not giving up without a fight. I have a good story line and the talent to get it published but it won’t happen overnight. The original title I had for this particular book was SHORT OF A MIRACLE but I changed it to one that fit it better. You know, it’ll take anything short of a miracle to get it published from the looks of things.
Whatever the reason you want to become a writer, let that desire become a reality. Train it, nurture it and give it room to breathe and grow. Stand back and let your talent take root and see where it leads you. Don’t let rejection stop you from being the writer you know that you are. Keep on trying until someone reaches out and accepts your work not once but many times. Keep on writing no matter how hard the road seems to get. Keep those creative juices flowing…
Marcella S. Meeks 