Click on the video above to hear about Valerie Griggs’s publishing experience with Writer’s Relief!

When our featured client, Valerie Griggs, was bitten by the poetry bug back in high school, becoming a published writer was a distant dream. After all, poets should live some life before settling down to write! Now she’s getting her poetry published and enjoying more success than ever before. Valerie’s poetry has been published in Typishly, Litbreak Magazine, Apricity, Pisgah Review, and other journals!

Read on and watch the video to hear how Writer’s Relief helped Valerie become a happy, published poet.

In Valerie’s Own Words 

When I was a junior in high school, I liked to write: essays in English class, journaling, short stories. A writer in residence—a poet—came to spend some time at our school, and I went to his class. I can’t remember exactly what he said about my poems, but when he showed excitement and complimented the imagery, the poetry bug bit me. So I applied to a creative writing program and started the adventure. I did say to myself that I probably wouldn’t do much as a writer until my forties. Writers need to do some living. And I didn’t see myself as earning a living as a writer at all. Many poets were either rich or supported by patrons, or they had professions (banker, doctor, etc.), or they died broke. But the beautiful thing about writing is that you can do it all your life, no matter your circumstances or location. I am fifty-eight years old and I’m having more success with my writing than ever.

Thanks to Writer’s Relief, I’ve had many poems published this year, and I was invited to journal launches to read my poetry in Philadelphia, PA, and Austin, TX. For old-schoolers like me, Writer’s Relief is essential. I make the most of my time writing and rewriting, and Writer’s Relief supports me with regular strategy calls and by answering my questions promptly. The staff takes away that isolated feeling we sometimes have as writers. I am focused and have the confidence to keep writing all my life.

More About Valerie 

Valerie has also been published in the Nassau County Poet Laureate Society anthology, Avatar Review, Door Is A Jar, The Ledge, Schuylkill Valley Journal, Steam Ticket, and Bitterroot. She won first place in the 2019 Performing Poets Association poetry contest.

Born in Brooklyn, NY, Valerie graduated with a BA in Composite Writing from the University of Pittsburgh, Johnstown; an MFA from Brooklyn College; and an MA in Spirituality and Spiritual Direction from Fordham University, NY. She’s taught English in the People’s Republic of China and as an adjunct at Hofstra University and Molloy College. She’s published over thirty poems, devotionals, and personal experience articles. Valerie has facilitated sacred poetry writing retreats and currently leads a spiritual journaling group. Since 2003, she has pursued songwriting, and has recorded three original music CDs. She enjoys museums, traveling, reading, journaling, fishing, movies, and, of course, all things poetry.