grace grits and gardening

ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

How to be a good Literary Citizen

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How to be a good literary citizen

Literary Citizenship?

Lately I’ve been thinking about the topic of literary citizenship. I learned of this concept from author, Kathleen Rooney. When Kathleen spoke about it at a writer conference, she credited Cathy Day who teaches a class on the idea. Kathleen’s talk on literary citizenship was a light bulb moment for me. I’d been working to be a good literary citizen without knowing there was an official term for it. But I realized there was more I could do in that department. There’s always more we can do, right?

No, this isn’t anything new. Anyone who tries to follow the golden rule will likely do many of these things already. But putting a title on the concept expanded the idea for me and gave me a clear pathway to follow.

So what does it mean to be a literary citizen?

Literary citizenship is about supporting the literary community, whether you are a writer or a reader, a storyteller of any sort. That’s all of us! Continue Reading

Gone to Mississippi

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Gone to Mississippi

Last Tuesday, I drove from Fayetteville, Arkansas to Vicksburg, Mississippi. Even though the trip is 400 miles one way, it’s not a bad drive, not while listening to a mesmerizing audio book and watching farmland pass in all directions. I’ll admit the drizzle from Little Rock onward made it not so fun. You know how annoying almost-rain can be, the sort that makes for constant wiper speed adjustment with an occasional blast of the defroster to clear the foggy windshield.

My drive came with that sort of drizzle.Continue Reading

on being an author… keeping it real today

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On being an author - keeping it real.
I’m two-and-a-half years into this author gig. At times, this new journey has been fantastic, at times nerve-wracking. Always it’s surreal. Opening myself up to feedback and criticism and whatever comes next (or doesn’t come at all) can be exhilarating and scary, sometimes within ten minutes.

Nearly every day someone asks me for advice. What’s it really like? Do you make any money? I’m always willing to share the tablespoon of knowledge I’ve collected. Today, I’m keeping it real, bringing you the great and the not so great. I’m sure other authors have different experiences, so as always, I’m only speaking from my limited perspective.

What’s it like?

In a word, rollercoaster.Continue Reading

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