Person in audience wrote poem

Who knew Berry Litzinger would write such a fetching poem after my talk to the Interior Chapter of the Alaska Writers Guild in Fairbanks, Alaska last week.

Five Fingers: All Thumbs, by Becky Litzinger

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Write a good book: it’s what Jim said.

Step one, in the long novel road ahead.

Be critical of how your words engage,

edit, cross t’s, dot eyes on the page.

Read loudly the words, then read it again.

Slowly into the world, your words, wayward wend.

You’ll release them finally, to the eyes of another,

critique group, friend, beta reader or other.

An editor is the key to help you facilitate,

steps in the journey to a publishing date.

Copy, grammar, development and acquisition,

research to find one, with your particular vison.

Now: get an agent, you need one, you know?

Without one no assurance your novel will grow

Into solid presence, typed and bound tight

you’ve gotten this far, yet; not done, not quite.

Ethical & honest: hard to find traits, for the

publisher you seek with the highest of rates.

Self-publish, if you have the ability,

your dreams may materialize into reality.

Now market your words! include the author, that’s you!

The world may want to know more about how you do

That incredible gift of writing and prose,

It isn’t always so easy; goodness knows

After all of that: there is of course; no guarantee,

That the book you’ve written, a shelf it will see.

Thank you, Jim. You have made it so clear,

I could just be wasting my time, typing, here.