At the reading group - guest post by Perry Prete
I was asked to speak at a writers’ group
last summer held at one of the local
nursing homes. I was expecting a group of retired seniors sitting in recliners
sipping tea and eating biscuits. Instead,
I was greeted by a nice young group of
men and women who looked liked cliché writers from a 1970’s hardcover jacket.
One of the men wore a tweed jacket with elbow patches and had a bushy beard. If
it wasn’t for the no smoking policy, I suspect he would have had been smoking a
pipe as well.
I went around the table and found that not
one of them had any works published which I found very odd. They asked a lot of
valid and poignant questions until one of them asked if I had been paid for my writing.
I replied that I was paid for every piece
of published work and expected to be paid
for my time.
The
woman who appeared to the leader of the group was taken aback and said writing was an art and it should be a privilege
to have my work out there for people to enjoy.
My response to her was direct: “If there is
only one piece of advice I would like to pass along to all emerging authors, it
would be this: Writing is an art, not everyone can write or should write. It is
a skill that takes practice to hone and perfect.
Therefore, you should be paid for your time and effort. Don’t be so full
of yourself that you think your writing is a gift to mankind.”
Several members of the group laughed, she
was dully offended to the point she almost left the room.
When she settled down, I went on to tell
her I wanted to make a living writing. If they wanted to be taken seriously
as a writer, they should expect the same.
The session went on for another hour or
more. Ironically, at the conclusion, I was
presented with a nice gift for my time. I was never invited back.
The Mind's Eye is Perry Prete's latest release!
Nicole Baker is a quiet girl - the type of person who is seldom noticed by anyone. That is until one day she discovers she has the unique ability to see images move on photographs. At first, she uses her ability to entertain friends at parties and work. Then senior detective Paul Hammond learns of her ability and enlists her help in a case of unsolved murders that he has not been able to make any headway on.
Carl Kadner, a rookie reporter with the local paper is investigating the murders as well. And he learns what it takes to be the kind of reporter he wants to be when he puts himself in danger for the sake of the story. It is only when Carl, Nicole and Detective Hammond pool their resources that things start making sense.
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Meet the Author
Perry Prete is a Canadian crime writer and paramedic. His first novel, All Good Things, introduced us to Ethan Tennant, a City of Ottawa paramedic who looks at crimes from the medical perspective.
Perry continues to work full-time as a paramedic and uses his thirty plus years of life changing and sometimes dramatic experiences to bring realism to his gripping medical novels. His other works include, The Things That Matter Most and All Good Things.
He is also a business owner, specializing in the pre-hospital care field. His company sells medical equipment across North America, primarily to EMS agencies.
A native of Sudbury, Ontario, Perry, graduated from Fanshawe College in London but now lives and works in Brockville, Ontario.
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