Blog | It's a Writing Life

Pushing my book, The French Desk, Over the Finish Line

These months prance along with such speed that I can scarcely believe another summer has rolled around and, once again, we are happily ensconced at the Rhode Island shore. I’m in the process of juggling my freelance writing assignments with the seemingly unending edits of my book, The French Desk, A Brooklyn Gal’s Journey into Wartime Propaganda.

No doubt my husband, family and friends would like me to move on from this work to other potential projects, but I do enjoy the process. I love to think and talk about writing. It’s something that lasts forever, even if it is not up there with Kingsolver, Shreve, Lahiri and others but I can assure you, I never thought that it would. That’s not a knock on me, it’s just that I understood those authors are beyond my skill set. I was trained as a journalist, not a novelist.

The truth is that I have set the story down that I wanted to tell. It’s a journalist’s version of my mother’s World War Two life. Emotion does not pour out of every sentence. (I’m not that kind of girl anyway, unless I’m at a funeral. Then, I’m a mess. But otherwise, I’m fairly steady.) It’s more a picture of her life for about two years, long before she was married and settled with five children. I’ve added characters and situations to give the book more than just a recap of what my mother was involved with. I’ve taken it as far as I can.

When we lived in Westport, I used to go to writing class at Write Yourself Free / The Editing Company with Patrick McCord, Ph. D, armed with 750 words for master-class peer and professional review. I was given excellent editing suggestions, wrapped up with strong encouragement to keep going. Patrick enjoyed my story. I miss his classes and all my wonderful writing friends. I hope to see them soon so that I can hear all about their projects.

In addition, several people were instrumental in moving me along. Kim Lake was especially helpful early on in this endeavor and I will always be grateful for her wise advice. Our sushi lunches with papers all over the table is a favorite memory of mine. I also was in a private writing group and given great feedback on how to add emotion to the book. My friend Barb Eilertsen also gave it a full read with many insightful suggestions.

When we moved to Florida, I met a wonderful man who was a World War two history buff, and he offered to read my story. The late Larry Calvert gave it a “thumbs up” after he read it in the fall of 2019. His wife, Gretchen, also enjoyed it. I’m so glad we had them over for dinner to talk about the book a mere six months before he passed away too soon. I will be forever grateful for his input.

My lifelong friend, Frances Croke Page, was there with me along this journey and offered so much creative advice that I can never say ‘thank you’ enough. Here’s a link to the amazing video she developed for my story. Thanks to my dedicated husband, Bill, who continues to work with me as technical support, editor, cheerleader and most importantly, believer in me. All that goes for my three daughters, Sarah, Kate and Emily, who often say with sincerity and enthusiasm, “You do you, mom!”

In addition to my core team, as mentioned above, I’ve had several friends and family read the book. Thank you to all who have given me feedback! There are too many to mention individually. My beta readers told me that they learned a lot, especially about the Office of War Information. The overall reception was tepid to excellent. A few shared that it was not a page turner, that it did not have enough plot, which did discourage me, but books are very personal, and I accepted their comments as any writer must. Thicker skin does develop. I also heard that some readers loved it. Most importantly, I feel that the work is good. My self-respect is intact. For the less than stellar receptions, I’ve realized that the book did not offer what they were looking for. Fair enough.

But I am done. I’ve finished the book. It may not be a commercially successful book but I’m good with that.

I was recently having lunch with my writer / editor friend Christina Cush, Editor-in-Chief of Naples Illustrated magazine, who often offers me freelance work, which I absolutely love. Christina suggested that I self-publish and move on. She had read the book last year, edited the whole thing and then kindly sent it to two of her agent connections in New York. No one sends a book that they think is crap, so that made me feel good.

As reported in a blog post a year ago, in both cases the agent feedback was positive on the writing, but they did not feel a strong connection to my main character. Christina and I did not quite understand that, as we think my mother’s story and voice comes through well.

At lunch a month ago, she gently encouraged me to investigate self-publishing. She wondered why I was carrying on about it all. “Why hold yourself to a higher standard than is necessary or that you would ever ask anyone else to do? Your story is a great read. Push it over the finish line. Talk with my friend Kate, another author who is hybrid self-publishing,” she added.

Not long ago, we met for coffee and Kate outlined what lies ahead if I go down that route. She was very kind to detail her hybrid publishing experience with me. So now, I am going to make a decision to proceed and be done with the book. Thanks to Kate for helping me envision the end line.

I’m still sorting out just what is involved and am hoping to sit down without my cell phone, close the door and put this baby to bed. Amen.

More Fall Musings: Our Adventure in Naples

The minute I get a writing assignment finished, my thoughts turn to my book and blog. At this time of year, it also turns to feeling grateful, for my family, first and foremost, but also for the gift of writing. Sitting down to craft a post, an article or a book is a privilege.

It’s been a busy fall and early winter. We moved houses in early October and, whether you’re moving five miles or five hundred miles, the dreaded packing must commence. Someone recently commented to me that the proverbial ‘they’ haven’t figured out a way – yet – of improving the moving experience. I fail to see how it will improve as long as we own furniture, clothes and keepsakes, which I’m not ready to part with. But let’s put all the hassle-factor of moving to the side and focus on the many positive aspects of re-shuffling our lives.

Our Week in Naples Between Houses

In our particular situation, we had a week in between domiciles with our former home closing a week before we could purchase and move into our new house. What to do? We decided to take a trip to southwest Florida so that I could soak in all things Naples, or at least as much as a 5-day visit could provide, in support of my freelance gig writing for Naples Illustrated Magazine.

Luckily, I had scheduled an interview with one of the Paradise Coast’s leading biologists for a new assignment and was looking forward to that. I’d also arranged to meet a few people related to some of the articles I’d already written so the next thing I knew, we were happily ensconced at a Naples hotel.

Our Naples sojourn kicked off with a drive down to the Everglades, where we visited the 10,000 Islands National Wildlife Refuge, “a mosaic of estuarine habitat where freshwater meets salt water,” as the visitor board describes. We walked to the bird blind and looked out over an immense area filled with marshes, wildlife, water, birds and lush vegetation. Once you are in these refuges, the sense of stillness takes over.

We then drove down Pine Crest Loop, visiting Smallwood’s Store, which unfortunately had just closed for the day. Author Randy Wayne White suggested this as a fun destination in the Insider Profile I wrote for Naples Illustrated Magazine in the November issue.

Corkscrew Sanctuary, Rookery Bay, Naples Botanical Gardens and Ding Darling

Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. Standing amid the “largest stand of virgin bald cypress in the world” (700 acres), with some of the trees 600 or more years old. Source: Bill McNee

The next morning, we headed out to Audubon’s Corkscrew Sanctuary, where we walked along the boardwalk and witnessed another feat of Paradise Coast conservation with old growth cypress trees, the ghost orchid, rare plantings and exquisite flowers cascading left and right. Scenery-rich moments like these help you forget all the complications of life.

We took a late afternoon sunset cruise in the Rookery Bay Natural Estuarine Research Reserve. Our captain, Nick, showed us around the estuary and we watched as a thousand birds descended onto tree branches with the utmost delicacy, rooting out interlopers and late-arrivers. Warm breezes whisked off our shoulders as we cruised the bay, going right near Keewaydin Island, home to many Loggerhead Sea Turtle nests. It was everything I thought a sunset cruise would be: warm, fun and interesting as beautiful scenery slipped by.

Early the next morning, we visited Naples Botanical Gardens, where we linked up with a local birder, Ed Kemnitzer, his wife Liana, and some of their wonderful friends who all enjoy birding and nature. I connected with Ed via my editor at Naples Illustrated Magazine, so that I could get a few quotes for my birding article entitled Take Flight: Birding in Naples (pages 78-83), likewise published in the November 2020 issue.

Scopes, binoculars and cameras surfaced, and we set out on a trek around this amazing 170-acre, award-winning facility which was founded in 1993. Liana is a docent at the Gardens, so we had a special tour, peppered with her insights and formidable knowledge. As we walked along, Liana was detailing many of the plants and garden features and Ed and his expert birder friends were calling out all the different avian species.

Bill and I were in our glory taking in all this information, enjoying the exotic plants from all over the world and appreciating the many conservation offerings Naples offered. For my husband the naturalist, it was sheer delight as he grew up with nature / garden-loving parents. For me, the writer and unabashed nature-lover, it was the exact combination of fun and learning that makes life so interesting.

We took a drive through Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park, another nature gem. Lots of turtle crossings. We then stopped at J. N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island and cruised along the four-mile Wildlife Drive, stopping frequently to hop out and observe the birds. Great fun, including a beautiful Reddish Egret!

Fort De Soto State Park

On our way back home, we also visited Fort De Soto State Park. It had to be one of the coolest bird / beach / scenery combinations we’d ever seen, and that’s saying a lot because every other locale we had visited on this trip was spectacular, not to mention various other trips we’ve taken! We saw some new “life list” birds, including a flock of over 200 Red Knots, which migrate 11,000 miles twice a year from Canada to southern South America. We loved walking on the beach, taking in an enormous expanse of shoreline, people having a good time and of course, the superstar birds we encountered along the way.

Pound for pound, this was by far the most nature-packed, spectacular trip we had ever taken. A sheer delight. After moving into our new house and spending a few nights there, we headed north to pick up our youngest daughter in college and celebrate Thanksgiving with our older girls. We were so glad that we could all come together then, as we followed the advice of many not to fly them south for the Christmas holidays. While we missed them terribly, better safe and healthy in the current era.

Early Fall Musings

My book, The French Desk: A Brooklyn Gal’s Journey Through Wartime Propaganda, was submitted to two agents in the late spring. The good news is that both provided positive feedback saying they liked the story, and the writing, but it just wasn’t a fit for what they were focusing on at the time. I took solace in the overall positive reception but found myself analyzing just what I could do to push the book over the finish line.

Some beta-readers have suggested a lack of plot might be the culprit. My take was that the story has a lot of plot already, what with the backdrop of WWII, the use of propaganda, the status of my future uncle’s health once he’s severely wounded in battle and the heroine’s overall search for that elusive love match that could last a lifetime. Many beta readers have loved the book, but that could be because they know me, knew my mother and just generally liked reading the narrative.

The story, as it stands now, is fairly close to the truth so to juice up a plot, I might have to change the trajectory of the story to help drive more drama and suspense. I’ve been discussing plot enhancing story lines with Bill, and a few friends, but I haven’t settled on anything yet. Just how I move forward has not been resolved. A major rewrite is not a likely scenario, but it may be the only way to make it commercially viable.

As we close out September, we’re moving houses in Florida, so I’m busy with that. Very excited about our move to a new neighborhood not far from where we are currently living.

I’ve also ginned up my freelance writing business, MJM Communications, and have taken on two clients, a lifestyle magazine in southwestern Florida and a non-profit junior golf foundation. Over the years, I’ve done quite a bit of freelance writing for both paid and volunteer-driven unpaid entities.

I’ve always loved writing feature articles, starting in high school, continuing in college and through all the years that followed. Most recently, I’ve written an article on birding and profiled a best-selling author for my lifestyle magazine client, both of which will be published this fall. They were very fun to write. I now have a few more assignments and am working on those right now.

The junior golf foundation work is exciting because I’m not only writing articles but helping to figure out how best to gain broader visibility for this well run non-profit. Our plan is to initiate a social media marketing campaign, as well create some alternative content that can be pushed through a variety of channels. It is fun to rekindle thought processes from my marketing and advertising career some thirty years ago, now in the age of internet-driven social media. To say things have changed is the understatement of the new century. This is going to be fun!

The book awaits further attention. I’ll keep you posted.

A Summer in Quonnie

I apologize for the break in blog posts, but the past month has been busy! We’ve relocated from Florida to Rhode Island where we will be staying, off and on, into the fall. Emily will be heading off to college in New York State, so it will be good to be here for her first semester, especially with all of the Covid-19 issues. Bill and I are also thrilled to be in Quonnie, where life just feels a little simpler for some reason!

I have a few things to catch you up on. First, I’ve re-started my freelance writing business, MJM Communications, and have accepted several assignments from a lifestyle magazine publisher focused on the ultra-luxury market, as well as a non-profit golf foundation writing feature articles and profiles. I’m excited about the work and am loving learning about new places, organizations and interesting people.

Secondly, as you know, I’ve submitted my book manuscript to two different industry professionals and have received some excellent feedback. Some revision is required to make this a commercial book, and I am in the process of sorting out the new treatment, using much of the current material but weaving in more conflict and plot.

My original idea on the book was always to treat the “story” as a recap of my mother’s experiences during World War Two, and I’ve accomplished that. The tricky part is to make it more along the lines of “what’s going to happen next and where are the problems” rather than a straight playback of her time in London and Paris.

I’m loving the process of figuring all this out, but I’m also taking a breather on The French Desk in July and August. I have four freelance articles to write as it is, and don’t have the time to also write blog posts and edit the manuscript right now. I’m hoping to get to the beach a bit, too, but have not been there yet! Criminal!

Thanks to everyone for their support these past months. The name of my blog fits – it’s a writing life!

Safe Conduct Pass

One of the most effective pieces of propaganda that came out of the Office of War Information (OWI) was the Safe Conduct Pass leaflet, which guaranteed safekeeping for the captured German soldiers. These passes were shot off of airplanes in non-exploding containers and drifted to land like leaves from a tree.

The concept of safe passage documentation was not new, having first been recorded in biblical times. In the middle ages, when a Christian wanted to travel to the Holy Land through an Islamic run territory, they needed transit papers to ensure safe travel to Jerusalem. At the Geneva Convention of 1929, a specific effort was made to revise the rules of the treatment of prisoners of war, especially in relation to eliminating reprisals and collective punishments.

The Safe Conduct Pass in World War Two was produced by the OWI-SHAEF Psychological Warfare Division working in close conjunction with their British counterpart. Early in the war, the British, Russians and French were all distributing surrender leaflets, but there was no uniformity to them, and some of the rules were not the same depending on who produced them. Once the United States was involved in the war, and after the collective British and American effort, a uniform and official Safe Conduct Pass was created. Continue reading “Safe Conduct Pass”