Chicken Soup Needs Eldercare Stories

 

When I turned the page on my calendar this morning, I wondered how it could actually be the final month of this strange pandemic year of 2020. I pray 2021 will end up on a better note. Today's photo seemed appropriate for the beginning of December and to remind us to still take time to write. Maybe our 2020 December won't be as busy and hectic as usual, so perhaps there will be a bit of extra time. 

I received a notice yesterday from the editors of Chicken Soup for the Soul with a call for submissions to one of their titles now in the works. When they send out a special call for a single book, it tells me they are in need of more stories sent to them. Maybe they have received a lot already but are not the high quality they aim for. Or perhaps this title is a difficult one to write for. Whatever the case, this is an opportunity to get your foot in the door at this top-notch anthology

The book title is "Eldercare With Love." I'm pleased they put the word 'love' in the title because eldercare needs a lot of love along with patience and understanding. Kindness and compassion and a little humor are also necessities when offering eldercare, whether it be to a parent, grandparent,  or sibling. All those words that describe the needs of a person caring for another are fine, but they are not always easy to use on a 24/7 basis. 

The stories the editors are seeking must not be from professional caregivers. Instead, they have designated caregivers who are family members or a close friend, not a paid professional. 

A lengthy list of possible topics has been included in the call for submissions. Read through it to trigger a thought or memory which might help you write a story for this book. Remember that it must be a true story and it should have a beginning, middle, and ending. They do not want an essay about your thoughts. A full story is what is requested. 

Go to this page and scroll down to the Eldercare title. Read carefully. And remember that your submission can be a poem that tells a story also.  The deadline is January 30, 2021, but the sooner you get the story sent, the better. Be sure to click over to the Guidelines page and study it carefully. Those guidelines are not suggestions--they are requirements for your story to be considered.