For the Shy Writers Amongst Us

"Nom de Plume"  is a French phrase that literally means "pen name." In other words,  it's an alias or pseudonym.  A recent and  famous example of this is JK Rowling, who adopted the name Robert Galbraith when she wanted to publish a muggles-only crime novel very unlike those famous tomes of her Harry Potter empire.

examiner.com

Rowling hid her true identity, but someone, of course, leaked it when the rave reviews started pouring in. (She who must not be named, was named.) You may or may not agree with those reviews, but appreciate the reasoning: if the critics had taken "Galbraith" down, that would not have reflected poorly on Ms. Rowling, Harry Potter et al. 

Now what has that to do with us here in the sleepy village of Whitesboro, New York? Good question. Some of our local writers may be reluctant to publish their written work online, perhaps given the possibility of bad reviews, sensitive material, or simply needing time to get used to their words and ideas being seen publicly. I had the same trepidations a year ago but now -- you can't get me to shut up.

It not only feels good to flex the writing muscles, it feels good to share what we've written and get some feedback. All feedback is helpful.  The favorable comments give us confidence to write more, and the others, well, inspire us to do better next time. Sounds like a win-win situation to me. And don't forget, we will NEVER allow any disparaging comments to be posted to your stories on these blogs.

All that being said, successful writers like Stephen King and Neil Gaiman are right -  when it comes to any skill,  use it or lose it. So keep writing, my friends, and please...allow us to publish what you've written.

See you Thursday, June 12, when we unveil our first Plotters ink fictional pieces! I'm so excited!!!