Some of the First Times in my Writing Career

Some of the ‘First Times’ in my Writing Career
By Liz laMac

Today is Tuesday, October 19, 2010. It is the night that our Writers Group meets in the Karr Activity Center in Warm Hearth Village, Blacksburg, Virginia.
This is a very special Writers Group meeting. It will be the first time some of the members have ever seen their writing printed in a book. Some of the members will be published for the first time. No longer are they amateur writers. Everyone is now a published author. And since the books are being sold and money is being exchanged, that makes everyone who has a story in the book, Stories from the Hearth, a professional writer. In spite of the fact that our part of the sales goes to the Warm Hearth foundation with our permission, we are all, now, professional writers. Therefore we should be very proud and stand a little taller.
And for some of the members, it will be the first time anyone has said to them, “Would you sign my book, please?” That is a good feeling. I have signed hundreds of books, but it is still gives me a thrill every time I am asked to sing one of my books. I love it. I have had many wonderful first times in my writing career. Of course in show business these times are too numerous to mention . . . with all the television shows, the live shows, the radio shows, and then there was the mingling with the stars-all that was great. And I wouldn’t forget my first dummy and the ventriloquist conventions. But now I am thinking only of my writing career.
One first time that I will never forget was the first time I walked into a Nolan’s Book Store and saw a row of my books on the shelf, and then I saw the long table set with flowers and with stacks of my books ready for me to sign. And the people were waiting for me and, and my dummy, Little King Joe. It was my first book signing. And it was the first stop on my first book signing tour. I’ll never forget it.
Then there was the first time I saw one of my books on a library shelf and watched as a young boy checked it out. That was inspiring. It gave me a burning desire to write more and more.
But, tonight is another first time, for me. It is an exciting time and a time to be remembered. It is the first time I have had any of my stories published in a book along with a group of associate writers and friends. I have had several books published, and I have had stories printed in newspapers, magazines, and various trade supplements, but never in book form along with other writer’s stories. And for that reason, I am very humbled, as I ask each of you that have a story printed in the book, Stories from the Hearth: “Would you please sign this book for me?”