SEPTEMBER HOLIDAYS CELEBRATE WRITERS!

Labor Day

Many years ago, at a Writing workshop, one of the author/speakers shared the following words, which continue to inspire me today: When no one is watching, always write from your heart and with excellence; for those pages become the fruit of your Labor.

Do your friends (and family) understand the labor intensive work you’re doing when you’re writing? Unless they are also writers, most folks have no clue. However, not long after I heard the above statement, I adopted the Labor Day Holiday as one of significance for me and I’ve used its history to help “other people” gain a better understanding of my profession as a Writer. Here are a few thoughts for you to share with others, too.

• The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on September 5, 1882, in New York City, a highly promoted event connected to factory labor union workers who were definitely under-appreciated at the time.
• The idea to celebrate “workingmen” and their labor quickly spread across the country and by 1885 most every industrial center across America participated.
• The celebration of Labor Day soon expanded to workers in every physically laborious industry from laundry workers to construction and dock workers.

The component of Labor Day that speaks to me—as an author—is the basic definition: Labor Day “honors the contributions that workers have made to the strength, prosperity and well-being of their country.” It honors “the vital force of labor in the U.S. that has contributed substantially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known.”

Writers, and the labor we engage in on a daily basis, are absolutely part of that “vital force of labor” who make valuable contributions matching that definition to a “T.”

The greatest contribution we offer to the world is IDEAS!

• Author Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a prolific writer in the 18th century who greatly influenced many of the writers of the U. S. Declaration of Independence.
• Benjamin Franklin’s writings not only influenced the early U.S. colonies (politically) but gave clear ideas for the development of the Postal Service
• Thomas Paine in his books, The Rights of Man and Common Sense, continue to contribute to the “prosperity and well-being” of the world.
• George Orwell’s novel, 1984, remains a best seller today as it offers a thought-provoking “what if” scenario.

YOUR WRITING LABORS are producing more IDEAS right now. Whether in the genre of Memoir, like Anne Frank (The Diary of a Young Girl) or the realm of other worlds like Ray Bradbury (Fahrenheit 451) and C.S. Lewis (The Narnia Chronicles), the writing we accomplish today will sow ideas into the future for generations yet unborn.

I am often asked why I believe so much in self-publishing and the answer I offer contains all of what I’m sharing today. I believe every writer is inspired to create the specific piece they’re working on. However, traditional publishing simply takes TOO LONG to get books “in print,” their selection process DROPS TOO MANY excellent authors, and their books have a finite lifespan. With the support of self-publishing presses our books can literally STAY IN PRINT, period. ⚓︎

ABOUT ROYALENE DOYLE: Royalene has been writing something since before kindergarten days and continues to love the process. Through her small business—DOYLE WRITING SERVICES—she brings more than 40 years of writing experience to authors who need “just a little assistance” with completing their projects. This is a nice fit as she develops these blogs for Outskirts Press (OP) a leading self-publisher, and occasionally accepts a ghostwriting project from one of their clients. Her recent book release (with OP) titled FIREPROOF PROVERBS, A Writer’s Study of Words, is already receiving excellent reviews including several professional writer’s endorsements given on the book’s back cover.

Royalene’s writing experience grew through a wide variety of positions from Office Manager and Administrative Assistant to Teacher of Literature and Advanced Writing courses and editor/writer for an International Christian ministry. Her willingness to listen to struggling authors, learn their goals and expectations and discern their writing voice has brought many manuscripts into the published books arena.