Joyce is offering one copy to one randomly chosen commenter the choice of one of the following novels: CAKE, HARRIET BEAMER STRIKES GOLD, HARRIET BEAMER TAKES THE BUS, BLAME IT ON THE MISTLETOE, OR GRISELDA TAKES FLIGHT. The winner will be announced here on Friday, November 15th, between 5-6 PM EST. For convenience, please leave your contact information within your comment. Thanks!
I Owe It All To The Martians, Well Sort Of by Joyce Magnin
That’s
right, the Martians. Here’s the thing, I never wanted to do anything else in
life besides write. I guess you can say I was born with it. By the age of three
I was totally and irrevocably word struck. Smitten with words and what they
could do. I remember sitting on the floor or at the table reading the headlines
on the back of my father’s newspapers. I loved words and stories and books. By
the time I landed in kindergarten I was reading pretty well and reading
whatever I could get my hands on.
Then
in third grade something spectacular and amazing happened. My teacher, Mrs.
Nichols asked us to write a story. (Oh Boy!) I wrote an imaginative piece
entitled The Day The Martians Came. It was a story of how men from Mars came to
earth to knock over Fort Knox. Apparently, Martians eat gold. Mrs. Nichols
loved my story and asked me to share it with all the classes at Westbrook
Elementary. Yikes! When I was a kid I had a terrible problem with sweaty
palms—I’m talking Niagara. So by the time I made it back to third grade I had
perspired so much that my story, written in pencil was nothing more than a gray
smear. I cried. But Mrs. Nichols comforted me. She told me that my story wasn’t
really gone. She said my story and a lot of other stories were in my heart. She
told me that I had been gifted with words and would some day write books.
I
remember that moment so clearly to this day. I remember it as the day God
reached down from heaven and set the gift and desire to write inside me. I held
the hand of God that day.
Sure, it’s been a rough haul. I was an overnight success but it was a decades long night. I worked hard, read a lot, honed my craft, went to school, joined critique groups, collected rejection slips, cried. I even tossed a keyboard out the window once because I was convinced I would never be published. But then it happened and all the fear and struggle and wondering melted away. I knew it was all about God’s timing—not mine.
But when you are in the
thick of trying to find success, it’s hard to believe that. So, if you are
still waiting for that first contract, I’m not going to say, don’t cry, don’t
get frustrated. I know you will. I’m just going to echo the words of the poet,
Rilke. If, when you go to sleep at night and close your eyes and all is dark
and quiet and you can look into your deepest heart and say, I am a writer, then
by all means write and don’t give up. If you are called to it, God will
accomplish it.
Joyce's Ah-hahs To Tweet:
Author
Joyce Magnin: If you are called to it, God will accomplish it. (Tweet This)
Everyone
has a story: author Joyce Magnin shares about Martians and God (Tweet This)
Want
a great and fun read? #BookGiveaway of author Joyce Magnin (Tweet This)
Author's Bio:
Joyce
Magnin is the author of nine novels including the popular and critically
acclaimed Brights Pond novels, the
Harriet Beamer books, Maybelle in Stitches (Quilts of Love series) and two
middle grade novels—Carrying Mason and Cake—Love, Chickens and Taste of Peculiar
which was awarded the coveted Kirkus Star. Joyce is a frequent conference
speaker and instructor. She also does school visits and runs a small
editing/critiquing business.
Find Joyce on the Web:
If
you would like to book Joyce for your event or for editing services please
email her directly at jmagnin56(at)gmail(dot)com
