The Essence of Storytelling

Foreward by Deena Metsger

Publisher's Description:

Our Secret Territory is composed of revelations from the life of a world famous storyteller including extensive travel and projects spanning thirty years. It helps readers understand the power of storytelling as a profound and unique art form combining modern solo theater, spoken literature, spirituality, and direct oral tradition akin to ancient ritual. The book is shaped with stories and poems and a remarkable fairytale that weaves in and out of a life of experiences: rescuing ex-child soldiers from a devastating war; working with epic singers, Native American storytellers and Tibetan meditation masters; designing a playground; telling tales to Roma mothers and children; and saving a zoo in Northern Romania.

Faster than a Speeding Bullet, Able to Leap Tall Buildings. It's a Bird. It's a Plane. No. It's the Internet.

I was thinking earlier today about the Internet. I know that a lot of people in my age group are computer-phobes, gripe and groan about "the good old days" and how the evil Internet is destroying life as we know it. To that, I say "Balderdash!" and "Harrumph!" 

This came to mind today when I was reading one of this month's articles. A few days ago, I happened to read, I think on Twitter, a wonderful article by Simon Hay from his blog. I was impressed enough with what he had to say that I asked if I could reprint his article in the Messenger this month and if he would share more with us.

365 Days of INspiration & Encouragement

Publisher's Description:

In this collection of anecdotes, lessons, quotes, and prompts, author and writing teacher Barbara Abercrombie provides a delightfully varied cornucopia of inspiration — nuts-and-bolts solutions, hand-holding commiseration, and epiphany-fueling insights from fellow writers, including Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners and Abercrombie’s students who have gone from paralyzed to published.

About the Author:

Barbara Abercrombie has published fourteen books, plus essays and articles in many national publications. She teaches in the Writers' Program at UCLA Extension where she won a Distinguished Instructor award. Recent books are Courage & Craft and CHERISHED: 21 Writers on Animals They Have Loved & Lost. Her latest book, A Year of Writing Dangerously, was published by New World Library in June 2012. She lives in Santa Monica, California and Twin Bridges, Montana with her husband Robert V. Adams, and their rescue dog Nelson.

Writer's Guidelines 

NOTE: All copyrights for articles appearing in The Messenger remain with the authors.

We welcome your submissions on any of the topics we offer. If you would like to submit an article or idea, email us first, then when submitting, please consider the guidelines below.

Your article may be of any length, preferably between 2000 - 4000 words.

There is no deadline other than it needs to be to us by one week prior to the update you want it to go into. Currently, we update on the 1st of each month. 

Email your article or proposal for an article to us at themessengerinfo@gmail.com

• If possible Please use Helvetica 12 point type. If not, I can translate fairly easily. 
• DO NOT use paragraph indents.
• DO NOT use special formatting like changing the margins or indents.
• DO NOT use headers, footers, or page numbering.
• DO NOT include tables. If you want a special graphic in table form, please send it as an image (jpeg, gif, or png). If you need help with that, let me know.
• DO Use single spacing with double spacing between paragraphs.
• DO Use ONE space after a period. Two spaces comes from the days when we used typewriters. It is no longer considered correct and it is a pain in the tush to correct on copy.
• Please spell check and grammar check your work before you submit it. I don't do a lot of editing and if you have errors, unless I happen to catch them, they will go out for the world to see.  
• Please include a short (1 paragraph) bio, your email and web address if you want them included.
• If we don't have it on file already, please include a photograph of yourself in Jpg format. It needs to be at least 110 pixels at 72 dpi. If you don't know what this means, just make it about 1 1/2" wide. Length does not matter.
• For any graphics or images you include, you must have a legal right to use them. DO NOT pull photographs or images from the web unless you know they are in public domain or you have permission to use them. Coypright infringement is serious.

Thanks so much,

Anita Burns

Editor