Hello!
My name is Margaret Barrie, just call me M. I’m adrift in the Pacific Northwest in a deforested rain forest. I’m a lifetime voyager of the literary arts. I write poems and short stories. I have to be willing to share my words, attend workshops, interview family, and practice daily.
Before I anchored my writing craft with the African-American Writers’ Alliance, I meandered through my journals. Today, my writing has increased with the support of the writers. At first, I had concerns about whether what I wrote was good enough for scrutiny, and I had to be courageous to allow others to visit my personal place. Now, I’m very pleased to be part of the AAWA critique group. The journey with the critique group is respectful, invaluable, and a safe harbor. It’s always fair weather: the interactions, listening and learning from each other, and refining my stories.
As a member of two significant groups AAWA and the Renton’s Writers Workshop, I’m happy to report I’m published in the 2018 AAWA anthology Voices That Matter and published in the 2018 R.W.W. anthology Spotlights. What a surprise and a pleasant trip to be in print twice, February and September! Currently, I intend to publish my first Book of Poems by the end of 2021. The revising and writing is cruising slowly, quietly holding the course, and enjoying the sound of words lapping along the hull.
I’ve roamed articles researching acceptable shorts stories of 1000 words. Looks that I have 500 more to go. I’m exploring ways to complement the dialect, nuisances, and languages of my first two families. I’ll continue to develop my short stories searching themes and adding drama. I have more discoveries to make and techniques to practice. One of the many books I’m reading is Brian McDonald’s Invisible Ink. In 2019 the Seattle Public Library sponsored him to present a workshop on A Practical Guide to Building Stories That Resonate. I attended that workshop in a packed room and was so glad I did.
The next step is to seek out how to publish the book, an unknown crossing for me. I’ve listened to published writers talk about how difficult it is to be acknowledged by the publishers. I’ve also looked into self-publishing. I’ll chart my way and welcome any guidance when I get to that port.
Thank you for reading my blog and sharing my voyage with me.
I can be reached at margaretsbarrie@gmail.com
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