Being a Professional Writer

Being a Professional Writer

At five, I knew I wanted to be a writer. By ten, I knew I wanted to be the editor of magazines and write articles and stories for them. Teaching writing and editing other people's work has been a fun addition to my love of words and the power they have. (I’ve been the editor of over a dozen periodicals and hundreds of books. I’ve worked for three publishing houses and a radio station, producing and writing programs.)

I bring my causes to my written work. When I discovered and rescued three kittens abandoned in a box, they became the subjects of a daily journal, then four eBooks and a paperback containing all of those: Kitten Love, Learn from My Mistakes, Crazy Cat Ladies, and Kitten Love: The Trilogy.

My blog and eBook Fifty Shades of Graying: Love, Romance, and Sex After Fifty are all about the reality and right we have to enjoy those aspects throughout our lives. Most of the book is pieces submitted to the blog. Many happy stories and some tearjerkers and humor as well.

During my years as an English as Second Language teacher, I cried almost every day over stories I heard about what had brought people to the US—wars and prejudices, hunger and hope. And I heard about what happened to them here, especially about the prejudices and disappointments. The Queen of Mean: The Conversion of a Cold & Prejudiced Heart is my homage to the courage it takes to find a new home.

The Perks of Aging: Blessings, Silver Linings, & Convenient Half-Truths came from my time working with seniors writing about their lives. They all laughed hysterically when I asked what are the perks of aging...then they told me. The book is a collection of the funny and poignant answers and the poems these answers stimulated me to write.

Making Mud Angels: Winning Strategies for Tough Times comes from the pearls of wisdom handed to me by older relatives and mentors that I'm passing along to my four daughters, 14 grandchildren, and as many other people as I can reach. They are homey aphorisms that have helped me.

Processing Loss Workbook comes directly from my Processing Loss Workshop and includes touching pieces by several of those who have taken the workshop. This is a great gift for anyone who has had any kind of loss: job, spouse, pet, finances, illness—any kind of loss.

I began collecting stories for Housekeeping in 1999! It includes a story of mine too. Check it out. It’s not what you’d expect! (But it is mostly funny.)

My most recent release is Last Duets, a Suspense Romance about the classical music field. As with all my fiction books, the characters and events in Last Duets are all real though characters are mostly composites of more than one real person. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CE447ZI

My columns Writing Corner and Poetry Corner appear monthly in Northwest Prime Time, and I invite submissions to the Poetry Corner and to my hosted segment (Sharing Stories) of the magazine's website. I use stories and poems in Sharing Stories. Contact me at ariele@comcast.net to submit those or to request a flyer of classes or for editing help with any type of written work.

I'm currently offering FREE downloads of at least one eBook every Saturday 12:01 am to Wednesday at midnight (except for holiday weekends).

I've also edited several really good books on Amazon including ones by Pete MacDoran, Kathy Reeves, Thomas Hollowell, Gerrit Hansen, Don Sivertsen, Roger Wilson, and Marty Gates...his Laughing with Dogs is a hoot!

Classes to help you become a professional writer include You're in Charge: PODs, Blogs, & eBooks: Learn about digital publishing (blogs, PODs, and eBooks). Digital tips help students spend little, earn well. 4/30 10am-2pm $10.45 Through the SHORELINE CC PLUS 50 program, 16101 Greenwood Ave. North. Call 206-533-6706 to register. (NOTE the REALLY inexpensive price on this funded program that people of ALL ages can take.)

Also: CREATING eBOOKS online class: The how-to of doing a book for friends and family or for making royalties from the general public. Start anytime! Classes are 10 sessions on an at-your-own-pace schedule through Edmonds Parks Department. Call 425-771-0230 to register.

Ongoing on site groups include The Writer’s Round Table at Edmonds Senior Center, 220 Railroad Ave, Edmonds. Call 206-361-6733 to register or just come in. We meet 4/8 & 22, 5/6 &20, 6/3 & 17 (6 Fri) 12:45-3pm. We are on a drop-in basis—$12 per session. All ages of writers may attend. Work on your life story, a novel, poetry, or any project.

And the Greenwood Senior Center has a Write About Your Life group ten Thursdays per quarter and meets at 525 North 85th in Seattle. 3/31 to 6/2 1:15-3:15. All ages may attend and the price is $70 per quarter or a $10 drop-in fee per time.

Ariele Huff is a Seattle native and a prolific writer. Her classes and groups are popular—often really fun, and her editing is thorough and professional. Join us!

SHARING STORIES is a weekly column for and about the 50 plus crowd living in the Puget Sound region. Send your stories and photos to ariele@comcast.net. Tell local or personal stories; discuss concerns around aging and other issues; share solutions, good luck, and reasons to celebrate; poems are fine too. Pieces may be edited or excerpted. We reserve the right to select among pieces. Photos are always a plus and a one-sentence bio is requested (where you live, maybe age or career, retired status, etc.).

SHARING STORIES is featured on www.northwestprimetime.com, the website for Northwest Prime Time, a monthly publication for baby boomers, seniors, retirees, and those contemplating retirement. The newspaper can be found in the greater Seattle area and other Puget Sound locations. For more information, call 206-824-8600 or visit www.northwestprimetime.com. To find other SHARING STORIES articles on this website type "sharing stories" in the search function above.