Mikes Place

By Michael L. Craner

This month, once again I have struggled with a topic for my column, it’s not easy to write a piece that can top the one before. First off let me thank those who commented in the past. I’m thrilled the comment forms have been working out for people and we are finally getting some feedback for the authors we feature. Getting a word of praise, simple comment, and even differing opinions are so beneficial to an author. Especially those of us amateurs who struggle getting the words to flow right, or even spelled write. While we do feature a few professional writers and speakers, most of us are but hatchlings in the world of print, but your feedback and encouragement has seen more than one hatchling soar to new heights.

While I’m at it, I want to thank Mary, our editor for her untiring efforts, checking the spelling, seeking out new talent, and financing this project that we have all enjoyed since 1998. It was due to Mary in a large part that this hatchling left the safety of his nest and spread his wings, first sharing my own poetry, then creating this medium, to finally attempting to write a monthly column, albeit I don’t always get one ready each month.

Thanks too go to my parents and family for their undying support and encouragement, especially my mother who shared her love of reading to me at an early age. I think to be a good writer, one must be a better reader.

I also owe a debt of gratitude to Connie, our columnist of “On The Other Hand”, who wrote to me far more often than I wrote her during the first half of my military days, but also encouraged my poetry, and shared them with a group of friends who created their own publication, “Masks & Faces” if I recall the name correctly.

Because of all the support I received with writing, helping out with Pencil Stubs seemed to be something I had to do, to repay those who supported me, I have done what I can to support other writers. Sometimes it feels more like a job than a hobby, but once those emails come in from flattered authors, or inspired readers it makes me realize what a great thing we have here, and that we are doing the right thing.

On this note, I am pleased to announce that you will be meeting new columnists this month, and probably next month as well, as we work to get some of our new contacts set up with us. You will also see a number of new poets and storywriters as well and a new serialized story or two, plus a couple more book reviews in the “A Novel Idea” department. I am also working on making Pencil Stubs “searchable” so you can search our archives for specific topics and a plan to offer volumes on CD by the end of the year.

We’ve seen many great authors pass through our pages, and many more great ones to come to be sure, as well as new features to the site and our offerings. As you browse through this issue, (and the archives of back issues too), if you come across something you really like, add a comment, write it on the wall, or email the author. Contrary to popular belief, no one here gets too much fan mail, and the words you write may just inspire the author to write the next “Best Seller”.

Thanks again for your support, and before I forget…