04.05
I am an author and a nurse. My book Save the Child is about Parent’s rights to choose healthcare for their children. On this
blog I write about anything to do with children’s welfare, healthcare, parenting or related subjects.” I’ve been doing quite a bit of introspection since then. This morning I came across a student nurse who set up a blog and their article intrigued me – especially the term blogivation.
Blogging is an education all of its own. If I had my heart’s desire I would be an eternal student. My blogs, my writing, my schooling, my career, and my life reflect the diversity I crave and actively weave together into the fabric of my being.
Some of the purposes that blogging serves for me include journaling, networking, fulfilling the need to reach out and help and share knowledge with others. I dipped my toes in the blog pool at the invitation of Marsha Ward on the ANWA Founder & Friends Blog in 2008. It was a comfortable atmosphere to get started as I had been part of the American Night Writers Association for nine years and was among friends. They gently encouraged my efforts and taught me basics about blogging like I’d learned about writing from them in critique groups and chapter meetings. I rambled on writing about whatever subjects caught my fancy at the moment. I appreciate their kind tolerance.
As I took writing classes in the local community colleges I was encouraged to start a blog and participate regularly to network with other writers. I was still working full time as a nurse and didn’t have the time to work in blogging, as well as writing on top of my nursing career. So it was filed away in the good thing to do folder.
I started writing back in grade school. I’ve created poetry, prose, and essays. My friend Kerry Blair encouraged me to write down my stories and try to get them published. With her nudges and cheers from ANWA sisters I self-published my nursing memoirs under a pseudonym. I couldn’t keep my thoughts to one genre and wrote animal stories about my pets, fantasy stories, middle grade stories, lyrics and music, screen plays, new age stories, short stories and kept jotting down notes for many more ideas. I was kindly told by well meaning instructors that I needed to pick my genre and stick with it if I ever wanted to be published.
Then I had the fortune of being referred to Dr. Pamela Goodfellow by an ANWA sister and friend – Cindy Williams. From the very first moment I spoke with Dr. Goodfellow I knew she was the answer I’d been searching for throughout my life. She doesn’t believe in writing for one particular genre. Hallelujah! I am free. Now my writing can reflect who I am: A girl who grew up with a Dutch mother, a father in the Army, and then on a rural farm. I love music, and play violin. I love nature and all creatures and I love to help people so I became a nurse. When I went to college I couldn’t stick with just the required courses – I carried anywhere from 19 – 23 college credit hours per semester to fill my curiosity needs. My e-mail handle is musicnurse.
I blog on four different blogs now. Margaret’s Blog reflects my wide writing and reading interests. A Nurse’s World provides a place for me to educate people about health issues, and play nurse. Save the Child is my website for my first novel that will be release next month. Dr. Goodfellow is my producer, editor and mentor. After seven long years I am finally going to have the finished product in my hand. I devote that blog to children’s health, children’s welfare, parent’s choice to choose their child’s health care. As Pamela’s student and her Teaching Assistant I helped her set up this blog for Goodfellow publishing students, authors and guests so we could share our thoughts about writing, and learn to network as Dr. Goodfellow has taught us in class.
A comment I received on the original article I posted on Goodfellow Blog indicated their blog was to stay in touch with family. I tried that and flopped. So I peak into their lives using Facebook window. One way or another the wonderful world of technology is helping me reach out and touch the lives of love ones, friends, acquaintances and new contacts. It is an exciting adventure.