Memoirist Susie Baxter wanted to save the memories of her family and childhood growing up in rural Florida for future generations, but wasn’t sure how. After taking a Life History class, she quickly discovered her calling and began penning her memoirs. At first, she believed her tales of growing up to be fairly ordinary, until members of her critique group convinced her otherwise. Further proof? Susie won First Place for Published Memoir in the 2018 Royal Palm Literary Awards and … Read More »

While Anne Hawkinson is accustomed to the long hours of writing in solitude, she recently enjoyed a collaboration with another author overseas—the fruits of their labors bringing two, soon three, adventurous novellas into the world. Inspired by her recent partnership, Anne adapted the concepts from the adult novellas to a young child’s perspective. My Faraway Friend won First Place for Unpublished Early Reader at the 2018 Royal Palm Literary Awards. Anne discusses the transition from working solo to collaborating and … Read More »

Jenny Ferns, a professional psychologist, knows the impact trauma can have on people. She uses this specialized knowledge to build character arcs and show the comprehensive impact on families in her stories. She also discovered through her own experience that writing memoir can be a therapeutic exercise. Using her memories from living in England for over twenty years, she created an authentic voice for her book, Ripple Effect, which won First Place for Unpublished Blended Genre in the 2018 Royal … Read More »

Rhett DeVane has had a long, successful writing career including thirteen books and a number of short stories, but she found her passion dwindling after years of writing, wondering if all the time was worth it. Then something new and fun sparked her creative energy, reigniting her love of authorship. That new project encapsulated her years of experience and rejuvenated passion, winning First Place for Unpublished Young Adult or New Adult in the 2018 Royal Palm Literary Awards. In this … Read More »

Bill Dougherty isn’t afraid to roll up his sleeves and do whatever it takes to create a successful screenplay. Years of learning craft? Check. Intense study of industry standards? You bet. Dive deep into research to get every detail right? Done. He’s written fourteen novels and eleven screenplays and continues to hone his craft with each one. In this week’s RPLA Showcase, Bill Dougherty, First Place winner for Unpublished Screenplay, shares the importance of themes in screenplays and how he … Read More »

Walter Joseph Schenck Jr. is no stranger to the struggle of writing. Yet how does someone who’s won many literary awards, been a featured writer in Publisher’s Weekly, and been on Kirkus’ coveted Recommended Read List more than once—a clear success—find writing difficult? Schenck took home three awards from the Royal Palm Literary Award banquet this year: The Dahris Clair Memorial Award for Plays, First Place Published General Catch All, and First Place Published Stage Play. He shares his thoughts … Read More »