Local Writers Explode at Tatnuck

As the publishing world changes, authors are taking on more responsibilities, according to local author Jessie Olson.

The Worcester resident’s book, An Ever Fixed Mark, was first released as an e-book about a year ago and then in paperback form last August. She describes the book as a paranormal romance.

Olson was at Sunday to take part in the Author Explosion event, which featured local authors for book signings as well as book readings. The event was hosted by the Worcester Writers Collaborative.

Olson said the collaborative was founded in October after she and two childhood friends reconnected last summer. The group now has more than 60 members and tries to meet monthly. Most of the members are from Central Massachusetts and some are as young as high school-age, she said.

One of those young authors, 17-year-old , started writing Misadventures in Filgersville toward the end of sixth grade. He said he finished editing the book at the end of eighth grade and it was published in 2008.

Misadventures in Filgersville is set in California and deals with stereotypes in middle school, more specifically a “dumb jock” and an “unpopular geeky nerd,” Colbert said.

The senior already has plans to publish a second book this summer.

The Worcester Writers Collaborative can help young or new authors with the writing and publishing process, according to Olson.  

“The world of publishing is changing,” she said. “It is put on the author to do a lot of marketing.”

Additionally, writing is a solitary experience, she said. Members of the collaborative can come together, bounce ideas off each other or just vent.

“We’re like a cheerleading group,” she said.

The group is open to anyone, whether they have been published or not, said Cynthia A. Nardella Ciullo, whose pen name is C.C. Beechum. The author of Penelope Barrows #1 - The Case of the Blowing Whistle said it is great that bookstores such as Tatnuck host local authors for book signings.

For more information on the Worcester Writers Collaborative, visit http://www.worcesterwriters.org/.