Paulding Authors Get By -- and Better -- With A Little Help from Their Friends in the Local Writers Guild

For aspiring authors, germinating an idea and writing a book are only the first steps in a long process to share their works with others. And unlike the multi-million dollar book deals and ghost writing assistance lavished on politicians, celebrities, some pop culture phenoms, most authors struggle with getting a first work published.

Paulding author William Gilmore, a military veteran and former member of the Atlanta Police Department, writes crime and sci-fi.Photo byDeanLand / OurTravelCafe.com

And that's where the Paulding County Writers Guild comes in. Members include a kindred group of self-published authors who share their struggles, tips and encouragement with a small writing community in the county.

At the recent May-Retta Days festival on the historic square in neighboring Marietta, authors and guild members William Gilmore and Rebecca Marsh were among several Paulding authors promoting their books under a white vendor's tent. Both engaged festival-goers meandering through the craft and food tents, offering to sign copies of their works for curious potential buyers.

Gilmore is a Vietnam-era veteran, former Atlanta police officer and detective, and an officer with the Disabled American Veterans. He blends that background with his imagination to create crime novels and even science fiction novels that include crime stories. Sharing some of his background, he includes both some of his book story lines and a great amount of credit to the Paulding Writers Guild for helping him navigate the complex world of self-publishing. He's now written and self-published seven novels and one book of poetry. We choose "Blue Bloods and Black Hearts," the first of a three-book crime series based in Atlanta, which Gilmore happily signs for us.

At the next table, Dallas resident Rebecca L. Marsh describes her works as "women's fiction." Her titles that include "When the Storm Ends," and "The Rift Between Us," -- which we purchase and have signed -- plus three others.

Authors from the Paulding County Writers Guild promoted and signed their works at May-rietta Days.Photo byDeanLand / OurTravelCafe.com

Both authors offer high praise for the Paulding County Writers Guild, describing some of the assistance, tips and encouragement they've received from their fellow members. They've attended and learned from the twice-monthly meetings of the Guild, held on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month.

One of the monthly meetings typically focuses on the business of writing, which includes marketing, publishing, earning, and other topics. The second meeting includes the craft of writing, with topics that deal with story, grammar, and even dealing with the author's nemesis, writer's block. There's a meeting and topic calendar on the Guild's website.

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