Introducing Starsongs magazine

We writers often refer to our work as our "baby". We nurture our efforts like a newborn, beam with pride as we watch our story grow, defend it against attack when it is criticized, and constantly seek advice about the health of our manuscript.

Today, my baby entered the world for the first time. No, it's not a novel, a poem published on a web site, or even an article that made it into the local newspaper. Few of the words written on its pages are mine. It is the first issue of Starsongs magazine and I am its editor.

These past few months have been filled with a great excitement, a little frustration, and a whole lot of challenge. The opportunity to meet, motivate, and mentor young people has proved truly a valuable experience for me. The work my contributors created, the patience they demonstrated with rewrites and critiques, and the gratitude for the simplest words of encouragement provide more than enough reward. I am grateful to the parents who supported their children with their writing efforts, who wrote words of encouragement to me, and who have been most patient during the process of putting the magazine together.


There are so many others who deserve my thanks. Kristine, the CEO of Written World Communications (WWC), gave me her vote of confidence when she offered me a position in her company. Dale and Chris patiently answered my questions, sometimes more than once.

My room-mate and coworker within WWC, Ro, who I met for the first time at the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference (GPCWC) embraced me as a friend the moment I met her. So many others at GPCWC, whether conferees or faculty members, offered words of encouragement.

Marlene, GPCWC and Colorado Christian Writers Conference Director, has always been a source of motivation and guidance to me. There is Corinne, our talented and creative layout editor, who used phtoographs and design expertise to add character and depth to the words on the pages. Her talent amazes me.

I am blessed to have all these wonderful people in my life, and that miracle, of course, I attribute to God, who knew all along what path he was leading me down. Even when I resisted, He patiently waited and quietly nudged.

Now that Starsongs is out there on the Internet and available for purchase, I know this is only the beginning of the journey. Next comes the job of marketing it, promoting it, and looking toward putting together the next issue.

I don't expect many adults to be interested, but if you have kids, grandkids, nieces or nephews, or know kids in the 9-19 age range, I urge you to point them to this first issue of Starsongs. I hope all the young people who explore it will find something interesting, entertaining, or educational. Most of all, I hope it encourages young writers to test their own creative ability.

Go to MagCloud and check out my new "baby". Follow its progress and watch it grow. If you would, tell as many young people about Starsongs as you can.

Thanks for reading my blog!