Seth Vicarson was never interested in writing. It became a “later-in-life surprise” when the urge to share his truth jumped up and bit him. So when he realized he lacked the skills to tell his story well, a new zeal took over, and with study and practice, he gained the confidence to write his book. Nothing could be more important to him than using his own experience of coming out to help others within the LGBTQ community who may be struggling. His book, Easing Out: Accepting My Gay Self, won First Place for Unpublished Autobiography in the 2018 Royal Palm Literary Awards. It was also the First Runner Up for Unpublished Book of the Year. Seth discusses the wisdom of age, the importance of advocacy, and using writing as a tool to help others in this week’s RPLA showcase.
Seth’s Writing Journey
Serious writing has been a later-in-life surprise. I always liked to write yet never felt I possessed sufficient expertise or interest to write anything of substance—and certainly not a book. I had always been a mediocre English student but, when I found a reason to write, things changed. It didn’t take long for me to recognize that I should have paid closer attention to English composition classes in high school and college. (I majored in Agriculture at U.F. so my sights were centered on another galaxy). For remediation, I started to study the subject like a kamikaze with crash course immediacy. The more I wrote, the more I studied. After all, I wanted to get an “A” on the test (my book). My zest for learning a previously painful subject was unexpected and welcome. The end result was a growing proficiency (maybe a semi proficiency) that enabled me to find the confidence necessary to tread water that I previously wouldn’t cross; my book was the beneficiary. (I was too!)
I must comment that this literary journey was accompanied by a significant emotional component, particularly considering the sensitive subject matter. There is no question that opening myself up to the degree that I felt necessary to make a plausible argument for my case was difficult. This was done only after much deliberation and thought.
The Winning Entry, Easing Out: Accepting My Gay Self
Logline: Do will and prayer truly change innate sexual orientation, or can they lead to an acceptance that God’s design shouldn’t be tampered with? Funny, heart-wrenching, thought-provoking.
Through the years I became increasingly weary of hate-filled declarations from predictable voices aimed at the LGBTQ community. Within their scopes were countless numbers of LGBTQ youth who were already struggling with poor self-image, abuse, and harassment. A result for many was suicide. Others were murdered. I felt compelled to write because I strongly believe sexual orientation is determined at birth and thus, not truly changeable. I wanted to convey that being gay is not a choice.
My primary goal was to provide encouragement and enlightenment to anyone who reads my life story, and this objective provided additional inspiration. I’m hopeful my effort will provide a ray of light to conflicted parents, siblings, and friends. It’s straight from the heart and backed by 69 years of personal experience, which provided for sprinklings of wisdom throughout the text. (Sometimes it pays to be old.)
Read an excerpt of Easing Out: Accepting My Gay Self here
Two Truths and a Lie, Writer’s Edition
Write what you know and/or what you love.
Don’t give up.
Don’t consider self publishing.
The lie? A piece of advice that I was given (and chose to dismiss) was to not consider self-publication. Nonetheless, I chose to self-publish after much investigation and have not regretted it. I recognize this option is not for the faint-hearted and is not appropriate for many writers.
I admit that most writers have heard this: Write what you know and/or what you love. Doing this will allow you to approach your writing with passion, which I believe is central to any writer’s ability to maintain a steady course. The second piece of advice (maybe wisdom) is not to give up. Complete your work even if it takes years. (It did for me.) Measure your success by the pride and joy a completed work brings to you. If your book is published, that’s a bonus.
Coming Next from Seth
Publication! I recently self-published the book, and it is now available on Amazon. I would never have attempted this without the expertise of two excellent consultants: Beth Mansbridge (Mansbridge Editing and Transcription), and Fran Keiser (Sagaponack Books). Beth is a phenomenal copy editor and Fran is an equally talented graphic designer who teaches at the University of North Florida. I located both of these experts through a contact at the Florida Writers Association.
Learn More about this Author
I cannot think of a better place to learn more about me than my book—after all it is my autobiography! Not only will you learn about me, but also about a subject that in much of the world is too uncomfortable for rational discussion. I hope my book can act as a change agent by opening minds and adjusting attitudes. Take a free peek in Amazon. The title is Easing Out: Accepting My Gay Self and my author name is Seth Vicarson. The book is available in paperback and Kindle.
More about RPLA
The Royal Palm Literary Awards competition is a service of the Florida Writers Association established to recognize excellence in members’ published and unpublished works while providing objective and constructive written assessments for all entrants. Judges include literary agents, publishers, film producers, current or retired professors, teachers, librarians, editors, bestselling and award-winning authors, and journalists from across the nation. Entries are scored against the criteria set by RPLA using rubrics tailored to each genre. Winners are announced at the annual FWA conference during the RPLA awards banquet. To learn more about RPLA, click here for the guidelines.
