"No more than 600 words, please." So a friend requested for her writers' circle newsletter (in England) plus the suggestion that I tell readers about an English writer (me) moving to the States. Having done that I realized that y'all might be interested and like a giggle!
The WHY is the easy part - I've lived in Florida before and had already decided that when I 'retired' I would move back here. With the advent of the Internet writers can live anywhere in the world and, provided publications are prepared to accept queries and manuscripts via the ether, contacting them is quicker and less expensive than snail-mail.
Having made it sound easy, let me assure you it isn't. For a foreign national to live in the U.S.A. they need a Green Card - it's actually white. I had several things going for me that helped. You have to be able to prove that you can afford to live here. I have my pension but got the card on the Artistic License as a writer. My third plus was the fact that having lived and worked here before I have a Social Security Number. That is a great asset as it proves you've paid into the system. It took nearly two years to get the green card.
The next laugh of course was the shipping - fortunately only two or three pieces of furniture, the rest was ornaments, clothes and my all important research materials, books and everything else writers collect. I was told it would take six weeks to get here so had it collected six weeks before I left England on the last day of October. I don't give prizes for those of you who have already guessed that it took longer than six weeks. After many e-mails, faxes and telephone calls my shipping arrived on Christmas Eve.
So what is it like being a writer in Florida? Weather's great. The biggest problem has been finding like-minded writers. I did join a local writers' group - having first asked if they were a professional group. Oh yes. It took one meeting to discover that about three of us were actually published writers and were expected 'educate' everyone else. The main reason why professional writers join clubs and groups is to make contacts and collect important information!
I did go along to another group - also once only. It consisted of about half-a-dozen ladies seated around a table, plus a published author who gave us a talk. When she had finished she looked at her watch and told us she had time for three questions as she had a hair appointment! Once she had left I thought we would get down to the nitty-gritty. We did. They all pulled manuscripts out of their bags. When I asked what this was for I was told, "we're all writing the great American novel". "Sorry?" "We're all writing the great American novel. You know, a Jackie Collins." I left before I did the unforgivable and laughed.
I didn't try for a third experience but I did meet another published writer who, like me writes travel. She also writes about antiques and is a publishers' editor. I think we are our own two-woman club.
One of the problems with living in a place as vast as the United States is that the important professional writers' groups are vast and not many of them have local chapters.
I think myself fortunate to have discovered TravelJourno and its fantastic internet newsletter. To say nothing of being able to e-mail around for advice be it on writing, marketing or the computer - especially as we aren't all computer literate.
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