Where does the time go? Here we are in September 2021, still dealing one way or another with covid and all that goes with it. Thank goodness we have our writing to keep fingers and minds busy.
The topic posed for this month is - besides novels, do you write in other genres? Have you ever written nonfiction?
Well, yes and yes. My preferred genre is historical romantic fiction, but I have also written two contemporary western romances with a third beginning to gel. However, the processes of gelling and the actual writing are both a bit slower than they were. But, before I started writing novels, I wrote short stories and newspaper and magazine articles before that. I liked pitching ideas to magazines that interested me or following through if magazine editors called for articles on a topic of their choice.
Sadly, of all the
publications my work appeared in, only one remains active. I’m happy to say their demise had nothing to do with my writing, but production
costs, dwindling subscriptions, and the editor’s retirement in one tiny
publishing house hit home.
Me, teenage groom and hunter
From the horses and dogs
that were part of my life to beer festivals and medieval faires, my travels at
home in the UK and abroad, I managed a fair range from being paid with six free
copies of one magazine to a heady $800 plus, this for an article on a medieval fair.
The magazine assigned me a professional photographer for the day. He
had never worked with a writer, while said writer (me) had never worked with a photographer,
professional or not. We started the day off by discussing what we were looking
for and then parted company, me to interview performers and visitors, he to
take as many photographs as he could of whatever interested him. We met up at the end of the afternoon and found that we had, amazingly, opted for the same subjects.
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| Jousting UK |
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| From GNIVIL's website |
My article on a United
Kingdom beer festival, including one of my photographs, appeared in the Calgary
Herald (still going strong.) That was a fun gig, in part because I applied for
and received funding from the British Tourist Board. No money changed hands for
the beer as visitors bought a string of tickets at the entrance gate and used
them to buy their beer. Friday night was a fun night with my family. I got to
work interviewing people the following day. I even made it into the local paper
at home that described me as ‘a mystery woman from Canada.’
So now I’ve related
some of my experiences with writing outside my preferred genre, let’s look at
what my fellow bloggers have to say.
Marci Baun http://www.marcibaun.com/blog/
Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea
Connie Vines http://mizging.blogspot.com/
Dr. Bob Rich https://wp.me/p3Xihq-2qf
Judith Copek http://lynx-sis.blogspot.com/
Rhobin L
Courtright http://www.rhobincourtright.com
In Australia, these activities are called "Medieval arts." As a young man, my son made his own chain mail, sword (from an old car spring, which is the right kind of steel), etc. The best part was authentic medieval music, by a group Cantigas. I still have one of their CDs.
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping in, Bob. Yes, the whole medieval magic appeals to so many people. I've heard several groups performing medieval music and particularly like Derek Fiechter's music and Steeleye Span, an English group. Very ingenious of your son to utilize that car spring!
ReplyDeleteHow marvelous! I love history, particularly of the Middle Ages. You have a very strong writing background.
ReplyDeleteThose assignments sound like so much fun. I used to love attending Renaissance fairs. Actually, I still would, but no one else in my family has any interest. 🙁 There’s a group called Society for Creative Anachronism. (https://www.sca.org/) I came across them one day when they were holding a reenactment in our local park. If my child, now a teen, had shown any interest in doing it, I would’ve joined. (I wanted to join. LOL) Alas, they did not. (Sigh)
ReplyDeleteThat gig at the medieval faire must have been a total blast! I love attending those faires along with Highland Games which often has a re-enactment group as part of the deal, everything authentic to the time from their clothing to sleeping in hand sewn tents and cooking in a cauldron over an open fire. The Jousting is definitely an exciting event but I never knew the armor weighed that much. Those horses must be incredibly strong.
ReplyDeleteOne of the jousting horses at the fair I attended was a beautiful black Percheron mare called Rowan. Another was a very dark chestnut with blonde mane and tail called Diego. They both obviously knew their business and loved doing it judging by the way they both needed to be held back before the joust. Even with lance tips that broke on contact, I can't imagine how bruised and sore the jousters must have been at the end of the day!
DeleteHow wonderful to be able to cover a medieval faire. In California, we have a dinner theater, "Medieval Times" which does have indoor jousting on horseback. Also, the Highland games are held in Tennessee. I enjoyed your article Victoria. So many of us began or writing career on 'speck" for magazines.
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