Tarah Schaeffer: My New/First Intern

I have a thing for new writers.

I remember how thrilling it was the first time I ever saw my byline in print.  It was on an editorial I’d done for the local newspaper.  They loved it so much they asked me to send in a photo of myself and printed it as a feature.

I don’t remember what witty things I said.  I only remember that glowing feeling of my name poured out in ink on newsprint.  I had made my hairline mark on history.  I became an addict.

Everytime I can help a new writer achieve that I get the same thrill.  I intimately know the magical feeling of permanence that comes from being printed.  We love words, and being immortalized by them is something akin to a chocoholic drowning in a pool of melted Godiva.  We become immersed in words… our own… and there is no other feeling like it in the world.  Helping other writers attain that thrill is just as exciting.

That’s why I am proud to announce that I have taken on Tarah Schaeffer to serve an internship with me.  Tarah is a budding writer.  She’s taking classes to hone her literary skills and plans to use them to write the story of her life, her role on Sesame Street and the challenges she has overcome.  I know that not only does she have a brilliant story waiting to be told, but she will tell it candidly and with great heart.

Tarah and I have known each other just over a year now.  We met thru the MWGA right after I had first published End of Mae and was still gathering material for No Money Marketing.  She has been an enthusiastic fan and a great friend.  I hope I can help her on her journey forwards to become a great writer.

I do know I am very lucky – she’s a sweet friend and a tireless cheerleader.  This will be a new experience for us both!  You can learn more about Tarah thru her review blog, Country Book Bumpkin.