Meet Beth Ann Erickson

Yup. That's me. Yapping on the phone.

So, if I'm the Queen Bee of Filbert Publishing, where's the tiara?

Dunno. Guess Lucy got ahold of it. Probably in shreds now. (You'll meet her in a bit.)

But that's me at my desk. Please note the piles of papers. And this pic got snapped on a good day.

So, they tell me I have to introduce myself.

Here goes nothing:

My story's probably pretty typical as far as writers go. Big imagination. Got in trouble at school because of it. If I were a kid today, I'd probably be in Ritalin. "Non-hyperactive ADD" they'd call it.

I was a late bloomer. Mostly because I tried pretty much every profession I could think of before I finally realized I was running from freelance writing. Didn't think I could make a living tapping the keyboard, I guess.

I was pretty much right until I discovered copywriting. But that's another story. And another sales pitch. :)

I began writing professionally around 1995. Coincidently, I graduated from St. Cloud State University that same year. Degree in Communications. Summa Cum Laude, thank-you-very-much.

Sold my first novel to a publisher two months after my dear writing partner died. His name was Bentley. Beautiful black schnauzer.

Two weeks later, Lucy, the Rat Terrier Wonder Dog, joined me. What a trip she's been. Healthy and strong, the girl keeps me on my toes. I figure the Good Lord gave her to me to teach me how important it is to (according to the famous words of Ms Frizzle of Magic School Bus fame) "Take chances. Make mistakes. Get messy."

Lu lives by that mantra without even trying.

But I digress. As usual.

All in all, I've written (literally) hundreds of articles, three nonfiction titles, and two novels. I also write ad copy for businesses nation wide. And all of us at Filbert Publishing pump out issues of Writing Etc. twice a month. Now, that's a great time.

I love the writing life. Wouldn't trade this past decade for anything. I've learned more than I ever thought possible.

Many of my original gurus have stumbled. Some have stood the test of time.

I've enjoyed a few professional friendships... some that will endure, others that have already crumbled.

I've lost sight of my writing goals more than once, but always seem to manage to pull myself together and get back on track. In the process, I've learned there's nothing more painful than living someone else's dream. And nothing more unfortunate than discovering you're deep within a friendship where your dreams contain no relevance.

But most importantly, I've managed to surround myself with people who love the written word as much as I do. We creative types need to stick together for I fear we could easily become a dying breed.

So, if you join me in this wacky world of freelancing, if just for a while, I welcome you with open arms. If you choose to forge forward on your own, I wish you the best always.

But most importantly, here's a quick message to all of us who belong to the brotherhood of the pen: May our voices always remain true to our dreams and may we leave this world a better place because we had the courage to broadcast our convictions.

Talk later,

Beth