My writing life in 2012

Writing became a way to live with my son Paul’s bipolar disorder and to survive his suicide as a result. However, I never dreamed it would become my way of life. I still cannot get through the day without writing something. However, in the last few years it has become more than a balm to ease the pain. It has become a joy and a way to meet and interact with some very wonderful writing friends. 

Like writing, I can never have enough Buddhas
(Richard Stock photo)

With that in mind, I thought I write down a few of the highlights of my writing life from 2012, starting with my first publisher’s decision to go out of business. At first I was indeed devastated and then so angry. She closed down with four days warning and cut off our websites even before that. But the devastation and anger were very short lived. I reached out to a few writing friends – especially Keith Alan Hamilton – and got some suggestions about where to query. However, my dear friend and mentor Mark Shelmerdine came through for me yet again. He suggested Mike O’Mary of Dream of Things and within two weeks after I contacted Mike, we had a publishing deal. And I couldn’t be happier with this connection. He produced paperback and eBook editions, began a huge marketing campaign, and scheduled a group of readings and a radio show in Chicago in September. That gave me the opportunity to meet Dina Kucera, another author on the Dream of Things list. Her book Everything I Never Wanted to Be is a sad and funny and heartwarming tour de force.

I also joined a few other Facebook writing groups besides the couple of poetry groups I have been in for the last few years. The National Association of Memoir Writers, Gutsy Indie Publishers, Write Your Life Story, Writing Wranglers, Rabble Writers, to name a few.  Also through Mike’s suggestion that I join Help a Reporter Out (HARO), I got a monthly “paying” writing gig on a site called Aging Bodies and connected with Meryl Hertstein who created Bounce Back Women and is planning an anthology of women who faced adversity and their bounce back stories. Other writing organizations I got involved in this year are Storylane, Story Circle, and She Writes. Too much for sure, but I’m never without some place to submit my words. Speaking of, I also participate in Robert Lee Brewer’s poem a day challenges in April and November and write to his weekly prompts.

Besides I continue to write for Naturally Savvy, PsychAlive, and Open to Hope, Red Room, and my own blog, plus my regular tweets and posts on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. I wonder what more is in store for me in 2013. The writing opportunities are indeed endless.

I’ve also increased my speaking and signing engagements this year – speaking about my book, writing to heal, and writing tips in general – on NAMW, Google+ hangouts, at a couple of Great Los Angeles Writers Society-sponsored writer’s conferences, and a wonderful evening at my synagogue on a panel about surviving tragedies – plus participating in the GLAWS booth actually selling and signing at the LA Times Festival of Books and the West Hollywood Book Fair.

And still there is always work to do. This writing life is way more than just sitting down to write. It is so easy to see my time gobbled up with marketing activities.

Probably why I keep putting my historical novel back on the shelf. That is not to say that I’ve made no progress. I’ve gotten to over 90,000 words this year. Actually I’m not looking to write many more words but to flesh out what I have – why I’ve signed on to take a workshop in revising my novel in February at UCLA extension – one of my first formal writing activities in the new year.

It’s so easy to be a lonely writer, so going to GLAWS meetings and interacting on hangouts and roundtables, and taking classes is always a way to learn and network. And through these kinds of activities I’ve made some wonderful writing friends this year who have generously hosted me and my book during my three-month blog tour and wrote guests posts on my blog Choices. I cannot thank them enough. Makes me feel I’m not so alone – that we all have the same questions, misgivings, and thoughts about our writing. Now I know whom my go-to people are for sharing and give and take. As with everything else it takes a village to be a successful writer. I look forward to more interactions in the new year.

Thank you again, my writing friends. I appreciate and love you so much.

Book tour report

The first event was a National Association of Memoir Writers roundtable with Linda Joy Meyers on the subject of:

Keeping Your Book Alive Part I and II: Advice for authors who Need a New Publisher; Low-cost/no-cost Marketing Ideas 

I sat with Mike O’Mary, owner and publisher at, while we talked about what to do if your publisher goes out of business and what it's like to "start over" with a new publisher. And as you probably know already the loss of my original publisher was a blessing in disguise. Mike and I met for the first time just before we went on the air, and he is the dream of Dream of Things.

During the roundtable, Mike and I also talked about what it takes to promote your memoir in today's marketplace, including a variety of low-cost and no-cost ideas that any author can use to promote his/her book. Here’s the link to this roundtable. Mike has a wealth of information about ways to promote your book.

Mike orchestrated the next four book tour events for his other memoir author, Dina Kucera, (Everything I Never Wanted To Be), and me.

We each read last Saturday night at the Chicago Writer’s Association’s Essay Fiesta (part of the weekend's Chicago Writers Conference) in a banquet room at the Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery in downtown Chicago. It was first time meeting Dina as well, and it was love at first site. There were six other non-fiction authors reading at this event.

The next three events were on Sunday, starting at seven in the morning with a WGN radio chat on the Sunday Papers with Rick Kogan. We had no idea in advance about what he’d ask, so Mike, Dina, and I just talked with Rick like we’ve known each other forever. And, having just listened to the show, I think it turned out pretty well. Plus, Rick kept plugging our books throughout. How bad could that be?

We all went to breakfast afterward and then Dina and her husband, John, and my husband, Bob, and I took an hour-long architectural cruise on the Chicago River. The architecture is wonderful – the tour guide not so much. I felt like he was doing an hour-long non-stop performance piece. He even played harmonica for us at the end. Plus it was very hot.

Sears Tower in the back

Sunday afternoon we spoke to a group at the Open Books Bookstore – also in downtown Chicago. I’m originally from Chicago and this venue is not very far from where my dad had his textile business. Since only Dina and I appeared we had time to read twenty minutes or so each.

And the last event, Sunday night, was held in a western Chicago suburb, Batavia – forty minutes from downtown at the impressive Water Street Art Studios. In all the years I lived in the Chicago area, I had never heard of Batavia. We were part of a group of five who read poems and nonfiction. A video of a theatrical piece closed the event. Waterline Writers holds these events on the third Sunday of every month. 

Mike best describes how each of these readings went for me:

“I have seen Madeline Sharples read from her memoir and talk about her son's suicide at multiple events. Afterwards, people always come up to Madeline to tell her "My son killed himself too" or "My husband committed suicide," etc. Sometimes the people can't even talk. They are in tears, and they just want to hold Madeline's hand for a minute or ask for a hug. Clearly, there are a lot of people who have experienced the suicide of a loved one. And clearly, they don't have many opportunities to share their grief. That's why they are quick to embrace Madeline when they hear her story. They connect, and they always thank her for sharing her story.”

Not only is Mike a super publisher and book marketer, he is an eloquent writer. I thank him immensely for arranging this tour and great opportunity to share my memoir, Leaving the Hall Light On with others.

Writing in Times of Grief - Join our roundtable tomorrow

I'll be participating in a roundtable discussion tomorrow afternoon with my dear friend, Eleanor Vincent. Sponsored by the National Association of Memoir Writers, we'll discuss Writing in Times of Grief. And we'd love for you to join us by listening in and asking questions as well.


In the latest NAMW newsletter, founder and discussion moderator, Linda Joy Myers, wrote:



In preparation for our September 8th Roundtable discussion, I have been busy reading the books by our featured authors for the September Roundtable. Eleanor Vincent wrote Swimming with Maya and Madeline Sharples' memoir is Leaving the Hall Light On. Both books are about their beautiful children, how the death of a child leaves a scar that can't be completely healed. Each mother had to find her own path to become re-engaged with life and the rest of the family, and try to heal from such a heart breaking tragedy.


Eleanor Vincent lost her daughter in a freak accident with a horse. Madeline Sharples' son suffered from Bi-Polar disorder and committed suicide. These brave women are veterans of the journey from utter despair and darkness, telling the story in stark and emotionally riveting prose about how each of them found ways of coping and healing. Each of them has written powerful books that reveal the personalities of their beloved children--their imperfections as well as their sterling unique qualities. The stories and truths revealed are not sugar coated, revealing families as they really are--with conflicting needs, wants, opinions and options. We learn about the deep bonds of love and the impossible moment of discovering the death of their child, and the nightmarish aftermath of that unthinkable moment.


Though the reading is emotional and heart wrenching, both these authors guide us expertly through their lives, their feelings, relationships, and struggles to find some kind of center again--a journey no one wants to take. When someone finds themselves in that terrible moment, they need to find the threads of recovery so they can go on and have relationships with friends, their other children, spouses, and the larger world.


Both Eleanor and Madeline were writers before the events that changed their lives, so they naturally turned to writing attempting to make sense of what happened to them. Each says that writing helped her to cope, helped her to find the way to process the story and to preserve the memory of their children when they were young, when they all assumed many more years were ahead of them. These books are powerful testimonies to the strength of the human spirit and will fill your heart with compassion, a good example of how a memoir can make a difference--these personal survival testimonies of a passage through dark nights of the soul. Please join us for a meaningful and powerful discussion, this Thursday, September 8th, 2011.


Here are the details. Hope to hear you tomorrow.

Event Title: Writing About Times of Grief

Date: Thursday September 8, 2011

Time: 4 PM PDT |5 PM MDT | 6 PM CDT | 7 PM EDT, for about 1 Hour

Cost: FREE FOR EVERYONE

Telephone Conference call-in number:(209) 647-1000

Telephone Conference call-in code: 894400

Below you’ll find the full URL for the event.   Please let your following know about this event by sharing this link with them.

http://www.namw.org/teleseminars/september-8-2011-roundtable-teleconversation-to-focus-on-writing-about-times-of-grief/

And click for more information about Eleanor: www.eleanorvincent.com
eleanorvincent.wordpress.com

WOW blog tour stop No. 13

I'm over at NAMW today with a blog post about my journey from aerospace writing to creative writing. Please go over and take a look and leave a comment.


I'm so proud to be part of this wonderful organization for memoir writers. It makes me feel like I've "arrived" to be in such good company. I'll also be with them again in September with a blog post about memoir writing to deal with grief and as part of a roundtable on the same subject in September. I'll let you know about dates as the time gets closer.


In the meantime please go to the following links to see my post:


http://www.namw.org/news/the-journey-from-aerospace-writer-to-creative-writer/


and NAMW's news section:


http://www.namw.org/updates/madeline-sharples-author-of-leaving-the-hall-light-on-to-make-a-blog-tour-stop-at-namw/

"About the National Association of Memoir Writers (NAMW)

The National Association of Memoir Writers (NAMW) is a membership organization that invites memoir writers from all over the world to connect, learn and become inspired about writing their stories. The goal of our organization is to help memoir writers feel empowered with purpose and energy to begin and develop their life stories into a publishable memoir, whether in essay form, a book, a family legacy, or to create a blog."