Congratulations!

Good Morning,

Happy to say my husband, Barry Dimick’s memoir, Second Son: Growing Up in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom is a Semi-Finalist in the 2021 Royal Palm Literary Award Competition. Congratulations, Barry.

Ironically, I planned to talk about the importance of revision today because I believe it is key to the success of a writer. Since we live and work together, I’m aware of the number of revisions Barry made to make his manuscript shine.

Right now, I am participating in an August postcard festival. Poets must write a different ekphrastic poem daily based on the image on the front of the postcard. The poems are to be spontaneous.

With ekphrastic poetry writers respond to a work of art, often in vivid detail. I love to write based on a prompt and I love art, but I’m not comfortable with writing in a stream-of-consciousness style that does not allow for revision.

What’s your style? Hope revision is part of your writing routine. It can lead to success.

Thank you for visiting My News. If you’re interested in reading Barry’s memoir, it’s available on Amazon.

Postcard Poetry Festival Begins

Good Morning,

Thank you for visiting My News. I’m excited to announce the beginning of the annual August Postcard Festival.

The event begins with a postcard. I collect postcards all year. (Some creative people create their own postcards.) In the month of August, we write thirty-one postcard poems and send them to strangers. The object is to fill in the blank space on the postcard with the name and address of a participant from a list assigned by Paul E Nelson, co-founder of the festival.

Today, I wrote a simple acrostic poem. It seemed appropriate because the postcard featured the license plate from the state of Florida. Poems should be ekphrastic poems, vivid descriptions of a scene or work of art. I’m still working on the vivid aspect.

As a matter of fact, I’m still working on writing poetry. The pandemic knocked the poetry right out of me last year. My writing stalled. I apologize. I’d promised friends I’d write a book on the theme of suicide. I expected to incorporate a variety of poems in the manuscript. Somehow with COVID raging and the senseless loss of lives rampant, my poetry dried like herbs hung upside down.

Beginning today, I shall write a short postcard poem daily. My goal is to compose a variety of forms of micropoetry. Hope you’ll join me. Please feel free to send one or more of your poems to me. Go to www.melodydeandimick.com and click on Contact Melody. Let’s hope it is therapeutic. We all need a coping mechanism. Thank you.

Book Recommendations

(In the photo, Mother and other family members are posing for a picture with me during my book-signing event in Plattsburgh, New York. COVID has robbed me of the opportunity to attend book signings and hold book signings.)

Good Morning,

Thank you for visiting My News. I could use some help today. My soon-to-be-ninety-three-year-old mother is an avid reader. In fact, she taught me to read because the school I attended was using the Look-Say method rather than a phonics method to teach reading. I was learning to read too slowly.

Mother has read most of the biographies and memoirs in her local library as well as my husband, Barry Dimick’s wonderful memoir: Second Son: Growing Up in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. I want to buy her another book. Do you have a recommendation for a good book for her age group?

This morning, I ordered The Personal Librarian. I saw one of the two authors on Good Morning America. I was intrigued because one woman author is Black. The other is white. It seems to me that should make for an interesting perspective.

What makes you decide to buy a book? What is the best book choice you’ve made this year? I’d love to hear. Please go to www.MelodyDeanDimick.com. and click on Contact Melody to comment.

Thank you for visiting my website.

Good Morning. Thank you for visiting My News.

Suffering from COVID fatigue? My shamrock sure is. Seriously, if you have a green thumb, I’d love advice on how to renew my shamrock to its former beauty. It is a very special plant because it was given to me by my son. I’m not sure if I under or over watered it.

Sometimes people suffer from stress or abuse. The characters in the book I’m in the process of revising meet in a hospital. Like my shamrock, they are in danger. 

The title of my work in progress is Semicolon Tattoo. Semicolons are frowned upon by publishers. Some say their use makes the author appear arrogant. The punctuation marks tells the reader, the sentence isn’t over. It says, “Go on.” Semicolon tattoos symbolize the wearer plans to go on with life, despite struggles. 

Thank you for visiting My News. If you know how, please tell me how I can urge it to go on. How can I save my shamrock?

Thank you for visiting My News.  In the background a red, white, and blue quilt, a flag, a former student, my book Blame, and my mother with her beautiful white hair.

Happy Memorial Day. I pay tribute to and honor those who died in military service, including my uncle who lies buried in France. When I was young, I visited a local cemetery to place flowers next to family member’s graves.

My mother followed the rule: Do not wear white before Memorial Day or after Labor Day. 

That reminds me of one of my favorite movies. If like me, you are avoiding crowds during this holiday, you might enjoy watching Serial Mom. It is unexpectedly hysterical. When I watch it, I laugh at some of my family’s traditions and superstitions. Do you wear white before Memorial Day?

I suggest you watch Serial Mom if you haven’t. Tell me what you think about it, please. Enjoy your holiday. 

Returning to the Positive

The main character of my work in progress must learn to change her thoughts to change her life. At writing workshops, writers learn characters must change through the course of a book. Readers expect the protagonist to change.

During the pandemic, many of us have suffered from COVID-19 fatigue. The country is returning to a new normal. We must adapt. What do you expect to do to think positive? How will you create better thoughts?

Thank you for visiting My News. I’d love to hear about how you are changing your thoughts. Go to www.melodydeandimick.com, click Contact Melody, and share your ideas for creating positive thoughts.

Good Morning!

Thank you for visiting My News. I’ll explain why I put the exclamation point at the end of my greeting the next time I write a blog.

Hear a sneeze and within seconds you’ll hear exclamations from friends, relatives, and complete strangers. But you won’t hear me say, “Gesundheit.” Or, for that matter, “God bless you.”

Why?

Because during the bubonic plague many people associated a sneeze with impending death, Pope Gregory suggested a sneeze be followed with a blessing. I’ve never said, “God bless you” because that would mean I thought someone was about to die.

As we all know, sneezing is one symptom of COVID-19. Yesterday morning, a woman in the restaurant where Barry and I ate breakfast, sneezed over and over again. No one said, “God bless you.” After her third sneeze, many people looked at her with trepidation. I wanted to flee the restaurant.

Do you usually say “God bless you” when you hear someone sneeze? Have you changed since the pandemic? If not what have you changed since the pandemic?

Have a safe holiday weekend. Consider wearing a mask.

Thank you for reading My News.

Good Morning 🌞

Thank you for visiting My News. To be informed citizens we must read the news. As the president of the Florida Writers Foundation, I stress the importance of literacy. It is important to read and to read critically.

According to Patricia Hunt, a social studies teacher quoted in the News Literacy Project, “News Literacy is not only a civil right, it is a human right. Ms. Hunt goes on to say, “Our democracy can’t survive if Americans are unable to distinguish facts, evidence and science from conspiracy, bluster and bombast.”

Do you agree? Do you think for yourself? Can you tell fact from opinion? If not, our nation is in trouble. Parents, please fight for classes exposing propaganda and teaching how to read a newspaper 🗞

Thank you for reading My News. My News is composed in part of my opinion. The newspaper should be based on facts, except in sections labeled as opinion pieces or editorials.

Florida Writer of the Year

Super proud of my agent, Joyce Sweeney, of the Seymour Agency. She is the Florida Writer of the Year. Go to www.FloridaWriter.org to learn about Joyce and the Florida Writers Association Conference beginning October 14 at the HiltonOrlando/Altamonte Springs, Florida 32701-5297.

Joyce will discuss Finding & Working with Your Perfect Agent. You will be able to purchase her books. There will be a book-signing event in the bookstore from 4:00 to 5:00 P.M.

By attending the Celebrity Day featuring Joyce Sweeney, you will be helping the Florida Writers Foundation fund grants to promote literacy.

Thank you for visiting My News.

It’s May Day, a day that celebrates those who labor (labour) in many parts of the world. In one of my favorite plays, Camelot, May Day is celebrated in verse. The Kentucky Derby will be raced today. Whether you celebrate the lusty month of May or frilly hats, let’s celebrate a new month.