Remember dodge ball?  You may be too young.  The game might be considered the rudimentary form of paint ball.  The object is to hit as many people as you can with a large rubber ball that stings when it hits one's face, or back, or leg.  I used to hate it when it was time for dodge ball as a kid in elementary school.  I tried to get "hit" early so that I didn't have to be pursued.  And when I was forced to be the one in pursuit, I could hardly stand throwing that ugly, rust-colored ball at the other kids.  I always lost.  

I am shy.  My friends know me as a "raging" introvert.  I don't mind being alone.  In fact, I spend great quantities of time at my desk. If writing was "just writing" I'd have it made.  But if an author wants readers, well it's a different ball game these days.  One needs to learn how to market.  I'm not one easily coaxed out of her comfort zone. Not long ago in an effort to learn more about marketing tools, I attended a seminar for self-published authors attempting to promote their books.  One of the women attendees from New York stated she had dressed up as a chicken and stood in front of a large bookstore in Manhattan to promote her latest recipe book. There was no way that I could do that.  No that wasn't me.  I left early.

Several years ago I attended a seminar taught by the gifted writer, Sue Monk Kidd. During the two-day conference, she taught freely from her repertoire of writing craft and technique. But more, her foundational message to the artist writer was this: “If you don’t speak your voice, the world will miss a measure of healing.” That comforting and affirming message provided courage for me to begin sounding my own voice—at that time silenced by the censors in my head murmuring, “Why bother?” and “You’re not good enough.” “You work has no value.”

There are myriad and valuable websites offering methods and tools to help people improve their writing. My intent, though, is not so much...