Monday, February 17, 2014

The Story of How I Rubbed Elbows with King Henry VIII

Hear ye, Hear ye, I have met a King.

Yes, I am name-dropping and I am pretty proud of it. I met King Henry VIII. How, you ask?  Well, I was strolling along a path through the merry village of Revel Grove and suddenly, there he was. The King in all his glory.

Then he was gone.

We literally just rubbed elbows. But that’s fine with me. As a female, I’m not sure I would want to have a meaningful moment with the King Henry VIII.  I’m more than a little attached to my head. But enough chat about the King.  Let me tell you about the glorious village I visited.

In case you weren't aware, Revel Grove is a village that is populated for 9 weeks out of every year here in Maryland. It is the setting for a wildly successful Renaissance Festival.  If you like festivals, you must find a way to attend this one. The song, dance, food, jousting, crafts, and people worth watching make the entrance fee a bargain.  Plan to stay the entire day as there is so much to experience.

My writing renaissance.


I have found renewed motivation and energy with my craft due to certain recent events. There had been a period of time that I had all but given up any form of writing with the exception of a grocery list. But I have found a home on the Review This! blog and I am beyond delighted to be able to write about Maryland's Renaissance Festival.  I am eager to share the highlights of this region, as I see them.  Maryland alone has many must-see festivals and fairs.  The Renaissance Festival is one of the best.  

Successful businesses are similar to successful writing.


As I write this I am realizing the themes that make a successful business also make successful writing.  For example, the things that make the Renaissance Festival so successful are much like the very first lessons in learning how to write successfully. 

How so, you ask?  Here are five things that create successful businesses and are helping me to become a successful writer:



  • Love what you do --  Loving what you do will help you focus on your creations rather than on creating the fortune you imagine you will make.   The first person who held a “Renaissance Fair” was reportedly a teacher who was doing something for her class; not attempting to make a profit.
  • Keep the attention of the customer -- Bored festival attendees will not return. Bored readers close the book.  Your writing must be mesmerizing. Or at least interesting.
  • Practice, practice, and practice -– Practice makes closer to perfect.  Don’t expect perfection in the beginning.  But continue to work toward that goal.
  • Don’t hide; advertise –- As frightening as it is in the beginning, you must show your writing to others.  Blogs, social media, and word of mouth of your friends, if you don’t advertise your writing, no one will be able to read it.
  • Know your customer -- Renaissance festival fans expect horses, knights, Kings and Queens.  If your readers want fairy tales and unicorns, you can’t give them Norman Bates and Jason.
I have found my place on Review This! If you are a writer (or an "aspiring" writer, as I called myself for many years) I hope that you are already following the five tips listed above and are on your journey to successful writing.


Image Credit: These photographs are my personal photographs from my travels. Images are ©Dawn Rae - All Rights Reserved.







Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


12 comments:

  1. Thanks for always bringing the horses, knights, kings, and queens we were hoping for when we visit your festival of writing. Appreciated!

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    1. and I appreciate your visits and encouraging words. You do a great job of speaking to your audience and writing the desired topics. You are a role model.

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  2. Well, you have certainly held my attention here with your writing renaissance and the King! I will surely take your successful writing tips to heart and apply them to my Squidoo writing as well as other creative endeavors. These are things we cannot hear often enough to encourage us to publish and promote our best work.

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    1. Ruth, thank you. I find reminders very helpful. I'm glad others are finding them helpful too.

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  3. Thanks for a very interesting article. I love your writing and comparing your tips to the RenFest certainly held my interest. How very clever of you! I have a lot to learn from your writing style. Thanks.

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    1. Thank you Mary Beth. And I have a lot to learn from your photography style. :)

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  4. Excellent! Thanks for sharing your personal challenges so we can learn and be better writers. I also LOVED hearing and reading about the RenFest! The lens was fantastic!

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  5. I have to agree with you, of course! Loving what you are doing really is the key to success in any endeavor. I loved you Squidoo article on the Renaissance Festival. So much so, that you made me want to attend the festival myself this fall. I call that "proof in the pudding"! You write about something you have experienced, enjoyed and now we want to go too.

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    1. Cynthia, that is such a wonderful compliment. I hope you go this fall!! It's a wonderful event.

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  6. I'm delighted to hear you had the opportunity to 'rub elbows' with King Henry VIII (and keep your head!). Enjoyed your lens about the Maryland Renaissance Festival very much... and your writing tips were so helpful. Thanks, Dawn Rae.

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  7. Wonderful post! Loving what you do (and what you write about) is most certainly key to being successful in writing. I LOVE your coverage of the ren fair - I would LOVE to visit one some day. They don't really do them here in the UK much but perhaps I can coincide a visit across the pond when one is on!

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