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Mary Rosenblum
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Hello all!
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Welcome to our Professional
Connection live interview.
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I'm particularly looking
forward to our guest tonight.
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Marilyn K. Strube is a
ghostwriter for Guideposts, an inspirational magazine. Ghostwriting offers
Marilyn the anonymity she covets while allowing her to work with
fascinating individuals and craft their experiences into the kind of
heartwarming stories that have made Guideposts #13 in circulation. Besides
freelancing, she teaches university composition and is an ICL instructor.
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I'm going to learn something
here, too, because I know nothing about ghostwriting and it has always
intrigued me.
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Marilyn, welcome! Thanks so
much for joining us tonight!
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Marilyn Strube
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My pleasure!
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Mary Rosenblum
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So how did you first get
started in writing?
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Marilyn Strube
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I took an English Comp course
in 1986 and loved it.
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The teacher wrote nice things
about my writing in the margins
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and said I should try to get
stuff published.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Well, that's where a lot of
'would be careers' end, Marilyn. How did you get beyond that point?
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Marilyn Strube
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Well, a lot of rejections,
Mary!
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And then I entered the
Guideposts workshop contest and won it out of 6,500 people!
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Mary Rosenblum
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Wow, that's impressive!
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sallyk
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How did you get started in
ghostwriting?
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Marilyn Strube
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More like a miracle.
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I'd read GP all my life and I
was very familiar with their story telling style.
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I even told stories verbally
like they did! :)
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I got started through
Guideposts. Many of their stories are ghostwritten.
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That’s because they tell
stories first person and not all story tellers are necessarily writers.
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I help them tell their
stories. J
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Mary Rosenblum
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You know, before we continue,
maybe you should really define what ghostwriting is, for anyone in the
audience who might not be sure of the definition. J
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Marilyn Strube
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Good idea.
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Ghostwriting is when you write
under another person's byline.
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Mary Rosenblum
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In other words, if someone
tells first person about, say, their experiences in Katrina,
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that person's name would be on
the piece, but perhaps someone else actually put their story into prose?
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Marilyn Strube
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That's it exactly, Mary.
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It's an ideal arrangement for
me because I'm a very private person and I love writing first person
stories
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for someone else.
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Mary Rosenblum
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You know, Marilyn, this makes
me wonder...how much is it a case of you sort of getting to share someone
else's life for awhile? Really get into their personal experience? Is that
part of it?
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Marilyn Strube
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Wow, you really have a handle
on my job, Mary.
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That’s a huge part of
it.
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I rally need to get into a
person's skin to be able to write from their POV.
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Luckily, Guideposts runs the
story by the subject before it ever gets to print to make sure it's
accurate
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and matches their voice.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Ah, I wondered.
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starr r
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Does this mean you're on
Guidepost's staff, or is it all freelance?
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Marilyn Strube
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That’s a tough one to
answer.
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I'm not a staff writer BUT
because I won the workshop I'm considered a contributing
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writer and therefore have my
own editor and he looks at my stuff the very day it comes in.
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None of that slush pile
business.
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sallyk
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Do you find the subjects or does
the magazine? Or both?
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Marilyn Strube
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Great question! Both. I find
stories in the paper and hanging around after church or meetings or in the
student lounge
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at the university where I
work.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Ah, so you propose the subject
to your editor, then?
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Marilyn Strube
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Yep. Thursdays are GP's editor
meetings and they decide there which stories they'll go with. If mine is
picked they make it an assignment.
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Mary Rosenblum
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So what is your working method
here? Do you ask the subject to tell you his/her story? Tape record it? Use
written notes?
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Marilyn Strube
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Yes, I say, "Hi, my name
is Marilyn Strube and I'm a writer with Guideposts magazine.
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I saw your story (or heard
about it) and I'd love to talk with you further. Would you be interested in
telling your story to Guideposts?
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And I record it!
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Mary Rosenblum
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Then you write it up as a first
person narrative, right? And submit it to your editor?
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Marilyn Strube
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That's correct, Mary. I warn
the person that I
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will be sending it to GP and
they will be the ones taking over on their story.
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aulait
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Is the final story subject to
approval from the person you interviewed?
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Marilyn Strube
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Yes, it is.
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Recently one person actually
said, "no."
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Mary Rosenblum
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Interesting. What happened
then? The magazine simply didn't run it?
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Marilyn Strube
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The person didn't like the way
it opened and wasn't open to the editor in charge rewriting it to her
specifications.
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I think basically she got
scared. 4 million plus readers read GP. So the story is on hold for when/if
she changes her mind.
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Mary Rosenblum
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That's too bad. I suppose
that's a risk you have to take...that someone will get cold feet about
seeing that personal story actually in print. That cost you some writing
time, though. Ouch.
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Marilyn Strube
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GP is great about "kill
fees" that is they pay me a portion of what they would have paid for
the full story.
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Mary Rosenblum
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That helps. Glad to hear it.
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spider
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How much of your personal
creativity enters into the work?
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Marilyn Strube
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LOTS! I really have to put
myself in a person' shoes and recreate how I think it must have been. It's
not like they
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say, "The wind was biting
cold and the snow squeaked under my boot."
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Mary Rosenblum
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No kidding. It seems to me that
you are translating what people 'mean' when they tell about an experience
into a reality the reader can share.
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Marilyn Strube
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That's right Mary. It has all
the wonderful features of fiction writing, you need the conflict, sensory
details, etc.
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info
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Do they ever indicate whether it
was nice out, or cold, or is it a bit of guessing game?
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Mary Rosenblum
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Or do you ask questions,
Marilyn?
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Marilyn Strube
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Good question. Yes, they do
because I ask them but I fill in the sensory details that really make their
lives come alive to readers
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Mary Rosenblum
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I'm just intrigued. It seems to
me that this is very much like writing a first person fiction story, only
you are not making up the character and events. But you are using the same
skills you'd use in a first person fiction piece.
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Marilyn Strube
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I often call them two, three
times and ask specifics
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about the weather, what they
were wearing, who said what.
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That's right Mary.
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starr r
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How many rewrites do you
generally have to do in order to get their "voice" right?
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Marilyn Strube
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Excellent question! I usually do
three official rewrites
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but do plenty here at my home
computer before my editor ever sees it.
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aulait
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How do you know which
publications accept ghostwritten material. It isn't always in the market
books.
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Mary Rosenblum
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I'm not sure I've ever seen it
in guidelines.
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Marilyn Strube
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Another great question. As far
as I know, GP is the only one that insists on it.
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Other magazines allow a byline
such as "as told to Marilyn K. Strube" under the story teller's
name.
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Mary Rosenblum
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I'm of course, thinking of the
many interesting people I've met where I have thought...'you should write
up your story and send it to...' Only they don't write.
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I wonder if that's not a valid
marketing strategy for writers?
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A ghostwritten narrative?
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Marilyn Strube
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Yes, a good one!
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Mary Rosenblum
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All right all you LR students
who are balking at your nonfiction Assignment Three. :-) There you go. A
new alternative.
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aulait
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What other markets have you
ghostwritten for?
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Marilyn Strube
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None. The rest of the markets
have all been under my byline.
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spider
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Is the work pretty steady, and
how much personal enjoyment does it provide you?
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Marilyn Strube
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Yes, the work is steady and I
love writing as much as I love teaching.
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For years I just did menial
jobs to help support our family.
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I finally got to go to college
after the last one left home for college herself, got a BA, got an MA --
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both in English/Journalism.
Been happy and busy ever since!
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Mary Rosenblum
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You made good use of your
tuition! :-)
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Marilyn Strube
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Yes. But school wasn't
necessary for me to write. I was writing and getting published before that
as are lots of my ICL students. J
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Mary Rosenblum
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Yes, let us please make that
distinction...you do not NEED a degree in order to write successfully and
publish! Just for the record.
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aulait
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What does ICL stand for?
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Marilyn Strube
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So true. I remember the first
Guideposts refresher workshop I went to and I was completely out of my
league, or so I thought.
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But then I learned that plenty
of writers didn't have a degree.
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ICL = Institute of Children's
Literature
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spider
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Job satisfaction. How wonderful!
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aulait
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That is awesome, so how old were
you when you graduated from school?
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Marilyn Strube
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50!
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Mary Rosenblum
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Oh, WAY cool, Marilyn!
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A round of applause please!
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Marilyn Strube
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Thanks!
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starr r
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I'm excited that you're here,
Ms. Strube, because just this Sunday, our pastor told a story I thought
would be perfect for GP, but I'm unsure how to go about it. Can you help?
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Mary Rosenblum
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Any suggestions?
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Marilyn Strube
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Sure. The trouble is that GP
doesn't typically run stories about clergy.
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Their stories focus on every
day folks, ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
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Clergy is expected (unfair!)
to be good and to overcome obstacles.
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aulait
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Is most of Guideposts
ghostwritten?
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Marilyn Strube
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I'd say each issue is about 50
percent ghostwritten.
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sallyk
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Have you ever considered
ghostwriting a book?
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Marilyn Strube
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No way! Too much of a time commitment.
I don't even want to write my own book at this stage of the game. :)
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Mary Rosenblum
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Actually...since I'm sure we
have some people in the audience wondering about that...
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a writer friend of mine has done
that...for example a winning basketball coach, a public figure. He pitches
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the project to a publisher,
gets the okay, and then does it the same way you do, Marilyn.
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But it takes MUCH more time and
interviewing.
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Marilyn Strube
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Yes, I hope it pays well, too,
because I'd need some serious incentive to put my life on hold.
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Many of my friends do write
books and they are like crazy people for six months of the year dancing to
the editor's tune!
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Mary Rosenblum
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Yes to the 'crazy people' part.
:-) He vanishes from the face of the earth until he meets deadline.
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sallyk
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Too much fun doing the articles?
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Marilyn Strube
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Yes, I do love article
writing. I love personal experiences. I just did Victoria Jackson's story
for GP, from Saturday Night Live
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and she is amazing.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Cool. So how do you contact
someone like Victoria Jackson to ask her if you can write her story?
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Marilyn Strube
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Wow, that's a question and a
half!
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It’s not easy. I found
her email address on her website.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Do people turn you down often?
At all?
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Marilyn Strube
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Hmm, at first, yes, but I
think now I sound more confident and people pick up on that. They think
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now here's a professional
writer who is going to make me sound good! I send them stuff I've written for other people and
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stuff under my own byline. I
like for them to get to know me so they can trust me
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with their precious stories. I
don't want them to be afraid that I'll say something they didn't mean to
say.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Do your stories ever get turned
down by your editor?
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Marilyn Strube
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Oh yeah! Monthly! But by the
same token, plenty get snapped up. Thank the Lord!
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Mary Rosenblum
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Do you send your 'rejects'
elsewhere? Or are they too specifically written for Guideposts?
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(And see???? Even us pros get
rejections!)
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Marilyn Strube
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Great question, Mary. Because
they fit the inspirational market so well, I often get them published in
the Chicken Soup books
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or other religious magazines.
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Mary Rosenblum
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And they're mostly published
under your by line? 'As told to...'?
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Marilyn Strube
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Yes, correct...
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I should mention here that the
toughest part of my job as a ghostwriter is telling a subject that their
piece wasn't accepted by GP after all.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Oooh, I hadn't thought of that!
I bet that is disappointing.
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Marilyn Strube
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Yes. I have to be careful to
say that it isn't them being rejected or their precious story
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it's that GP has decided to go
with another piece, maybe something like 9/11 or Katrina.
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Lots of stories are being
collected on Katrina right now and others are being shelved if not
rejected. It's all par of the biz.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Tactful way to put it, though.
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cosmos
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How do you submit clips from
Guide Posts to show that you were the author? Does GP give you a letter of
credit for your articles?
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Marilyn Strube
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Wow, excellent question. No
one has ever doubted my credentials as far as I know, but, yes, my editor
is very good about
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letting people know I was the
actual author.
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sallyk
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How do you determine what to
charge for your work?
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Marilyn Strube
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Another great question. I'm on
a pay scale with GP as one of their workshop writers.
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I started out making $400 on
my first piece and it has incremented $50 with each story I've written.
They have a $2000 cap.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Nice pay. :-)
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How long is the average
Guideposts piece?
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Marilyn Strube
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Yes, and I work hard for it!
Now, if I could only get 6 stories accepted a month!
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1500 words for a full length
although that has shortened lately to more like 1300 words.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Very nice pay...although let me
guess that keeping that personal story to 1300 - 1500 words is the hard
part of this job?
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Marilyn Strube
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It used to be, Mary but I've
had plenty of practice at knowing when it's time to wrap things up... by
page 4
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double-spaced, I better be
moving to my point rapidly!
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starr r
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What about payment? Is it split
50/50 between you and the person whose story you tell?
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Marilyn Strube
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No, I get my usual pay and the
subject gets an honorarium It's fine with them. They love the publicity!
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Mary Rosenblum
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Most people are THRILLED at the
idea of being showcased in a magazine.
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cosmos
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As a writer for Guideposts, are
you in demand as a speaker for Christian Writer's Conferences across the
country?
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Marilyn Strube
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Yes. It's hard to write some
stories like the one I just submitted today about a golf pro, Jeri Reid,
whose life and accomplishments are HUGE!
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Not really although I have
spoken to groups locally. I think I'd have to really advertise myself to
get invited to the BIG conferences. :)
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starr r
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What do you say to those (you
barely know) who discover you're a writer and exclaim, "Oh, you should
write my life story! It's fascinating!" ...and you're completely
uninterested, unmoved?
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Marilyn Strube
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Hah!
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What a hoot! and so true.
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My parish priest wanted to be
in GP but I had to try to let him down easily. You don't want people to
think you are too good for them.
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Mary Rosenblum
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That really could be a problem.
Especially in your community where you ARE known.
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Marilyn Strube
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I'm usually pretty honest,
Mary. I blame it all on GP, that they are a picky bunch!
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Mary Rosenblum
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What do you write on your own,
when you're not working on Guideposts material? Nonfiction only? Any
fiction?
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Marilyn Strube
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Oh, how I wish I could write
fiction... I so admire writers who write fiction.
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They all claim I could do it
if I tried
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but I mostly write my own
personal experiences and articles for academia.
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I just wrote a piece for GP
about how I snore and how I needed to share a room with a roommate
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on a trip to Paris earlier this
year. It will be in the February issue. They want my husband and me to be
in our pjs for the photo shoot. Goodness!
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Mary Rosenblum
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LOL!
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geezer
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I haven't seen any Christian
magazines that accept fiction. Do you know if there any out there?
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Marilyn Strube
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Sorry, I really don't know. You’d
have to check the writer's guide, may I suggest Sally Stuart's Christian Writer’s
Market.
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Excellent book and plenty of
tips on how to write devotionals, cover letters, etc.
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cosmos
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In an inspirational piece, how
do you decide what comes first to hook the reader? What article
organization do you use that is so successful?
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Marilyn Strube
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GP has a formula that works
for any kind of writing... state the story problem (conflict) within the
first two paragraphs.
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Tell the story in sensory detailed
scenes
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and end with a takeaway, a
Biblically based precept that will be
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of practical help to a reader
in living more creatively and harmoniously.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Thank you, Marilyn. That should
really help anyone intending to try writing for Guideposts....and it's a
good structural formula for many narratives.
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Marilyn Strube
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You’re welcome. Best advice;
study the magazine you are targeting until you have it in your gut!
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Mary Rosenblum
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No kidding! That is basic...and
critical...advice for anyone who wants a career writing for the magazines!
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cosmos
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Do you travel often for your
interviews?
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Marilyn Strube
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Yes, I do. I live in Michigan and any
story that is in Ohio, Illinois, Indiana or Ontario, I usually cover.
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aulait
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What was the subject of the
story that won the Guidepost contest?
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Marilyn Strube
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I had written a story for my
mom, a memory about how she used to make French toast
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and how she was kind to an unlikable
classmate of mine and gave me a new perspective
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on how lucky I was to have a
mom and dad and brothers and sisters.
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The classmate didn't have a
mom anymore.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Very cool narrative, Marilyn.
I'm not surprised it won the contest.
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Marilyn Strube
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Yeah, but it was never published
in GP, can you believe it?
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Mary Rosenblum
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Ah, interesting. Did you ever
publish it elsewhere?
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Marilyn Strube
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Yes, my sweet editor suggested
I try Catholic Digest with it and they snapped it up. They have always been
kind to my GP rejections.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Glad it got published! Which do
you enjoy more...writing your own work, like this, or telling someone's
story for them?
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Marilyn Strube
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That's a tough question, Mary.
Certainly writing another person's story is more challenging
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and I love the challenge... but
I guess I love writing my own stuff more.
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I mean if it gets rejected I
don't have to give anybody the bad news 'cept me!
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Mary Rosenblum
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There is that. J
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What is your writing schedule
like? How much time per week do you spend on your ghostwriting projects?
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Marilyn Strube
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Two or three days I devote
completely to writing, the other days are devoted to teaching either at the
university or ICL.
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I take Sundays off. :)
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Mary Rosenblum
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Busy schedule. :-)
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cosmos
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I took my Sally E. Stuart
Christian Writers' Market Guide 2004 from my book shelf and I couldn't find
instructions on how to write a devotional. Where do you find this
information in this guide?
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Mary Rosenblum
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Do you know the answer to this?
You may not.
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Marilyn Strube
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I'm sorry Cosmos, I thought it
was in there. I guess I sent away for that pamphlet. Do you see an ordering
slip in the book?
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Mary Rosenblum
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You might be able to find that
information online, Cosmos.
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Try googling it.
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cosmos
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I will look for the ordering
slip. Thanks.
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Marilyn Strube
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You’re welcome!
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Mary Rosenblum
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So what do you have coming out
soon?
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Marilyn Strube
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Well, the "snore"
story in February.
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Just had a story in Chicken
Soup for the Father and Daughter's Soul in June
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Mary Rosenblum
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Cool. :-)
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Marilyn Strube
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Also, wrote my brother's story
which appeared in June, the grill master story.
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Mary Rosenblum
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That's in the June Guideposts?
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Marilyn Strube
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Yes
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Mary Rosenblum
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So what advice can you give to
our novice writers in the audience...what do you see as the most important
things to do, when you're starting out?
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Marilyn Strube
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Hmm, believe in yourself.
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Take yourselves seriously.
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Having kids and a husband it
was important for them to see that I was serious about my writing...
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I backed them up w all their
priorities and they took their turn repaying the favor by leaving me alone
when my office door was closed.
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Mary Rosenblum
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I think that 'take yourself
seriously' is far more important than most new writers realize.
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Marilyn Strube
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I have a stack of
rejections... any writer worth their salt does... be proud of them!
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Mary Rosenblum
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Amen!
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And write, yes?
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The bottom line?
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Marilyn Strube
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Also, read about writing. My
books are all books on how to write. I can't get enough!
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Yes. Write every day. READ
every day. Read menus and notice how they make the food sound so yummy...
it's those sensory details that will bring life to your work. And use
strong specific verbs! Crept instead of walked... peered instead looked.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Any final questions for Marilyn
before we let her rest her weary fingers?
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You've been a marvelous guest
and you have opened my eyes to a whole new and interesting area of writing.
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Marilyn Strube
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Thanks, Mary. This has been
fun.
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sweett
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Great and very informative
interview. Thank you so much!
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Mary Rosenblum
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I believe Sweett may be doing
some ghostwriting for Katrina survivors, Marilyn.
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Marilyn Strube
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Sweett, you're sweet! Thank
you!
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sweett
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Yes, working on several
different aspects of Katrina interviews
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Marilyn Strube
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That's excellent news. God
bless and keep everyone o f them.
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cosmos
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I sure appreciate learning from
you. Thank you.
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starr r
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Thank you both for the
information and the encouragement..
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janp
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Dynamic lady, thank you Marilyn
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Mary Rosenblum
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Thank you so much for coming,
Marilyn!
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Mary Rosenblum
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I have really enjoyed this, and
I hope you come back and visit with us again.
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Marilyn Strube
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Wow, you are all way too nice.
I wish you the best.
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geezer
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Claps.
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Marilyn Strube
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Thanks, any time.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Ditto. We'll let you go. Thanks
for coming! You were great!
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Marilyn Strube
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Okay, God bless and keep
writing!
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Mary Rosenblum
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You, too, Marilyn. Thank you
for coming and good night!
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Thanks for coming, all!
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