Victoria A. Hudson's Blog, page 12

Sarah Blum Part II

VAH: Welcome back to Three by Five and Sarah Blum, a story teller and story listener. Sarah - When did you know you were a writer and what brought this about for you?

SB: I did not know until I became aware of my mission to write about the need for justice for women in the military. I heard the call from inside and said, “OK then show me I can write.” I sat down at the computer and asked to write an introduction and within seconds my fingers were flying across the keyboard and I produced in introduction that was so powerful it blew me away, figuratively and I said, “OK let’s do this!” and the rest is history because my first book, Women Under Fire: Abuse in the Military was released January 2014.

VAH: Do you have any advice for emerging writers?

SB: Don’t give up. Write what is in your heart.

VAH: Do you have a favorite conference or writing retreat/seminar and why?

SB: I like going to Barbara Turner Vessalago’s writing workshops because not only do I get to write for three hours at a time whatever comes up, but I get to listen to it read aloud and see others responses. I also get to hear fabulous writing by others and enjoy myself with them and nature at the same time.

VAH: Are you a full time writer?

SB: I am a nurse psychotherapist.

VAH: You must use stories then in your practice.

SB: I use stories a lot in my psychotherapy to illustrate concepts, ideas, and as examples. One such story that comes up a lot is the one about the  Zen monks who are walking back to their monastery together when they come to the river. There is a woman looking at the river and in distress about crossing it. One young monk takes off his cloak and wraps it around the woman from behind and then picks her up and carries her across the river. He then puts her down and continues his journey back to the monastery. When he catches up to the other two monks they are in heated discussion about him and the woman.  As they reach the top, the young monk says to the other two, “I left the woman on the other side of the river and you two are still carrying her.”

VAH: Wow, that’s powerful and illustrates well how we hang onto stories we experience. Sarah, what would you be reading late into the night? Perhaps give an example?

SB: Either science fiction or spiritual books. The Faithful Gardener by Clarissa Pincola Estes. I found it very healing and go back to if whenever I need to. She weaves  many stories through it and brings the reader/listener through the worst of devastation to new growth.   “To bring new growth you leave the land bare and hospitable. First you put out water -God has already done that for us-God calls this rain-what a great host is God. Next you put out sun and some shade-oh clouds and sun-God has taken care of this also-what a great host is God. Lastly you leave the ground fallow-turned but unsown, it means you send it through the fire to prepare it for it’s new life. This is the part God does not do alone-God likes a partnership. It is up to us to help what God has begun. No one wants this kind of burning-we want the field as it once was in its pristine beauty, just as we want life to remain as it once was. But believe me fire comes though we are afraid, it come anyway. Sometimes by accident, sometimes with purpose and sometimes for reasons no one can understand, reasons that are God’s business. But the fire can also turn everything to a new direction a new and different life one that has its own strength and ways to shape the world.”

“In every fallow place a new life is waiting to be born-I am certain, I am positive. And more astonishing than that, new life comes whether one wills it or not. New seed flies in on the wind and it will keep arriving, giving many chances for change of heart, mending of heart,  and for choosing life again at long last. Of all of this I am certain. What is that which can never die, it is that Faithful Force that is born into us, that One that is greater than us, that calls new seed to the open and barren places, so that we can be resown.  It is this Force in its most often mysterious ways that are far greater, far more majestic, and far more ancient than any heretofore ever known. Remember new seed is faithful, it roots deepest in the places that are most empty.”

Sarah Blum is the author of Women Under Fire: Abuse in the Military. 

Three by Five and Sarah Blum

This month Three by Five introduces Sarah Blum, author and Viet Nam veteran.

“I’m interested in the truth,” Sarah Blum said of helping to treat the emotional wounds of others. “I’m a clear thinker, a problem solver. I’m a very strong person. I am someone who heals.”

Sarah Blum knows something about wounds and about healing. Once she was a 26 year old Army Captain and operating nurse with the 12th Evacuation Hospital in Cu Chi Viet Nam. Today she is a nurse psychotherapist. Sarah believes her drive to tell the stories of women veterans is a spiritual mission. With her tools as a psychotherapist and experience as a women veteran, she is a compassionate listener supports other women veterans having their voices heard. Her recent book, Women Under Fire: Their Stories, Their Words was published in November 2013.

War stories are often about firsts. Sarah has a story about her first mortar attack:

“The first time we were mortared I was in the shower. Our shower is a wooden stall with only three sides. The front is wide open. The water comes from a tank above the hooch where we live so it is not very forceful or wide, more like the width of a finger coming down.

I started to hear a sound like a whoosh with a whistle and then a thud and an explosion. I turned off the noisy sound of the spigot to hear it more clearly and wondered what it was as I turned the spigot again to rinse off the soap I was covered in. At that point a soldier showed up right in front of me. He was in full battle gear with uniform, helmet, rifle and flak jacket. He looked at me very intensely and said: ‘Ma’am we are being mortared-you need to go to the bunker immediately!’

I said OK and continued to try and rinse off the soap. He stepped up his intensity and shouted, “If you don’t leave now and go to the bunker I will have to carry you!” I could tell he meant business so I put on my shorty robe that barely covered my butt and of course the soap on my wet skin went right through the material of the robe and I went slip sliding through the hooch in my flip flops with soapy water running down my legs.

When I got to the bunker I could not see anything because I had come from the blazing sun into a darkened dug out covered with sandbags. Someone grabbed my arm and guided me to a bench to sit down. My eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness and I saw my chief nurse in her helmet and flak jacket and she told all of us nurses, ‘We will wait until the all clear and then return to what we were doing.’ The next moment a soldier appeared at the opening and said, ‘We need Lieutenant Blum in the OR right now!’ I looked at my chief nurse and she nodded for me to go. I went right back to the shower to rinse off the soap and now mud all over my legs and feet. Then I dried off and scrambled into my fatigues and boots and ran zig zag across the compound to the OR. I did not wear my flak jacket or my helmet because they added about 30 more pounds of weight to my small 5 foot 100 pound body and I could run faster without them on.

From that day on when I heard the mortars I went right to the OR because that was where I was needed and I never went to the bunker again.”

Stories are a good tool for a psychotherapist.

VAH: Sarah, why do you write?

SB:  I write because I feel the passion and urgency to get the message of justice and healing out on behalf of women serving in our military and our women veterans.

VAH: What was your first story about?

SB: My own experiences as a nurse in Vietnam.

VAH: Do you have a favorite literary character?

SB:  Aslan the Lion in Lion, Witch and Wardrobe.

VAH: What book or series of books would you want if stranded on a deserted island and why?

SB: Books by Mercedes Lackey because I enjoy them and they are inspirational.

VAH: What would you say was your biggest influence on your development as a writer?

SB:  Barbara Turner Vessalago my writing teacher and my writing group.

Find out more about Sarah Blum here.

Photo credit to this site.

Return on the 13th and 23rd for more.

Indie Author = Publishing Professional

This site is more than just my author website – here you will find information about upcoming events, the Three by Five Interview Series where traditional and indie authors give some back story on themselves, an opportunity to highlight a work in progress with Author First Look and occasional book reviews or trailers. On the Submission Guidelines page find anthology projects open for submissions and the guidelines to submit. Each year I sponsor an Emerging Writer to attend the San Francisco Writers Conference, watch the counter for when submissions will open. The blog space provides a place for my own musings about writing and the writing life, but it also serves as  clearinghouse for other good resources out there – all to help the indie author and emerging writer reach that gold standard of professionalism where they produce and publish something as good as or better than what comes out of the traditional houses. 

One of my favorite things to post here are when I find kick butt blog posts from someone else that really speak to issues in or for the indie community at large or might be a good resource for some individuals that take the time to visit the site. I’ve got one coming up at the end of this post that is right on target with some of the distractions in the indie author community. Stay tuned.

First though -

Three by Five is always looking for more writers, authors and interesting writing community people to interview. Message, email or tweet me for more information. First Look will post your bio and synopsis of your work in progress first chapter with a link back to where you have the chapter posted. Let me know if you want to participate. This year for National Poetry Month, I’m looking for poets to interview about their favorite poem they’ve written and I’ll post the interview and poem during poetry month. There are several call for submissions still open, take a look and please submit for consideration. Submissions for the annual emerging writer prize will open in September – read the results and what has won in the past. Submit your response to the prompt. Maybe you will win your registration to the San Francisco Writers Conference in 2015. Got a book? I’m happy to read and review a copy. And if you’d like a grab bag of literary magazines sent your way and live in the United States, I’ll send you a few free or for a small donation to cover postage.

Can’t say this enough – if you are an indie author, you are in the publishing business. You are a publishing professional. If you have a book that you’ve written, published and are selling – make sure that book was ready when it went out the door or across cyberspace. Meet the standard of the big house published books. Invest in an artist to design your cover. Know the difference between a beta reader, copy editor and proofreader AND EMPLOY them on your book. If you commit to attend an event, attend it! Urban fantasy and paranormal romance author J. M. Gregorie has posted a direct and right on point blog posting on actions that negatively impact the indie author community and degrade our ability to be taken seriously as writing professionals. Read her Open Letter to Indie Authors.

2013 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2013 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 5,200 times in 2013. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 4 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

Sharing a Resource

A resource I continually return to is Joel Friedlander’s website The Book Designer. There you’ll find a wealth of information that I’ve written about on this site before. Right now, he’s got a terrific promotion for his book design templates with a free download of all five of his self-publishing guides with any purchase, even just a $5 gift certificate! Even if you don’t have a writer friend who would benefit from a gift certificate or you aren’t quite ready for that fiction, nonfiction or children’s book template or very useful book proposal template – gift your buddy, your mom, your neighbor with a simple gift certificate so you – Independent Author – can benefit from Joel’s generosity. Really though, if you’re an independent author – you just might want to give his templates a try. The free eBooks are a great incentive and bonus. Click the banner below for more information.

Self-Publishing Means Always Learning

When I published No Red Pen: Writers, Writing Groups & Critique, thought I’d prepared myself pretty well. I’d gone to workshops, attended conferences, read a lot of blog posts and talked with indie publishing insiders at those conferences – and I still made a 600 print run mistake that cost me a couple thousand dollars and left me with unsalable inventory. In the second printing, the costly error was fixed and I was a bit more humble about what my capabilities were. My education about independent publishing continues and I will continue to share some of what I find here on this site.

Today, check out Kristen Lamb’s blog post Five Mistakes Killing Self-Published Authors. Especially, if you are ready to click that upload button for your first self-published book.

No Red Pen Helps Fund Emerging Writer Prize

Since No Red Pen: Writers, Writing Groups & Critique released in 2012, the Ebook has been a free download. I’m still firmly committed to ensuring this book is easily accessible especially to students and low-income emerging writers. I’m also committed to keeping the Victoria A. Hudson Emerging Writer Prize going for many years to come. No Red Pen will increase to $1.99 at all Smashwords outlets and will continue as a Kindle $2.99 on Amazon. (This is due to how Amazon prices.) About half the net proceeds will benefit the emerging writer prize fund, in order to keep the fund going.

Additionally, there is a gofundme campaign to raise funds for the annual emerging writer prize. The campaign continue to run until I’ve raised enough funds to ensure the annual scholarship is awarded for many years to come.

April is National Poetry Month

While the last week of 2013 winds down, I’m looking ahead to April – which is National Poetry Month. During the month of April, I’ll be highlighting different poets on the site. Visit often to discover a poet or find out more about one you love to read. Discover what poem the poet has written that is their favorite and why. All through April – a different poet every few days. Find out more about National Poetry Month from the Academy of American Poets.

2014 Emerging Writer Liz Hansen!

The Victoria A. Hudson Emerging Writer Prize goes to Liz Hansen. She submitted an original presentation to the writing prompt Why I write with a poem rather than the standard essay format. This was a risky move on her part but taking risk is part of becoming an excellent writer. The two other finalists also submitted original presentations creating a three-way tie. When a tie develops, the writing samples are then evaluated and Liz’s narrative nonfiction piece Passing the Grid moved her entry into first place. Liz’s response upon notification? “ I can’t tell you how honored I am to have been chosen by someone with your background.  It means more to me than you will even know…”

Liz receives her registration for the 2014 San Francisco Writers Conference, in San Francisco, February 13 – 16, 2014. In additional, she’ll receive a book publishing package courtesy of Bookbaby, and a signed copy of No Red Pen: Writers, Writing Groups & Critique.

The other finalists also receive a copy of No Red Pen: Writers, Writing Groups & Critique.

In December and January, the finalists’ essays will post as well as both Liz Hansen’s prompt response and writing piece. In February, Liz will be the featured emerging writer for Three by Five.

All who entered and do not win are welcome to enter again. Just don’t submit the same entry as a preceding year. The judges have long memories.

For the 2015 Emerging Writer Prize, submissions will open on September 1st, 2014 until December 2nd, 2014. The 2015 Prize will be the 8th year of the scholarship! Please help keep the scholarship going with a donation.

Emerging Writer Prize Finalists

The two finalists/runner ups for the 2014 Victoria A. Hudson Emerging Writer Prize are Gretchen Hayduk Wroblewski and Merriam Saunders. Both wrote outstanding responses to the Why I Write prompt. In the next few days, their essays will be posted here. Both were original in presentation and exceptional in quality. Each finalist will receive signed copy of No Red Pen: Writers, Writing Groups & Critique.

Tomorrow, the 2014 Emerging Writer Prize Winner!