Babs Iverson, Our Beloved Vocal Writer

Babs Iverson is the most supportive reader on Vocal that I know. She writes great memoirs, poems and stories.

She just past 10,000 read milestones on Vocal recently. She has about twenty top stories or more under her belt. Let me introduce you to her Runway Story, which is also a runner up to The Runaway Train Challenge.

Mariann: Where were you born, Babs Iverson?

Babs: Arriving at 8 am eastern time, that's the time on my birth certificate. I was born in Bellefonte. PA.

Mariann: What do you like to write about?

Babs: Mariann, that's a good question. I don't have a niche or a preference but it should be light and positive. Enjoy writing short stories, poetry, fiction and non-fiction. Dark and overly horrific isn't my cup of tea.

Funfacts : Babs is a big fan of the Texas Ranger Sports Team

Mariann: When did you realized you wanted to write?

Babs: As a child, I loved drawing. Once a week the art teacher would come to our elementary school. Art class was my favorite subject.

Received top grades for art, printing, and penmanship (cursive writing).

Realized a long time ago that I don't write out stories using pen and paper. For me, my creativity flows using word processing software, with a computer word processor , my free flow writing is comparable to painting and sculpting with words instead of paint, canvas, or clay. Editing a story, poem, or article is easily accomplished by moving text, correcting typos, or adding new thoughts and words.

Naturally, wrote a lot personal & business letters. Starting college courses in 1988/1989, I had to do a lot of writing. On campus, there was a computer lab. That's where I spent many hours typing my papers and assignments.

Returning from a field school in Egypt, I wrote two poems. Surprisingly, the poems were written using paper and pen. The first and only time I wrote by hand.

So, when did I realize I wanted to write? There wasn't an epiphany.

It was organic and the fact that I wanted to leave a written legacy for my children & grandchildren. It's something that I longingly wished my father and grandfather would have done with their verbal stories.

Mariann: Got it, wow. Field school in Egypt? How did you end up going to that school?

Babs: At UNT(University of North Texas), the Anthropology professor announced that she was planning a field school to Egypt and Israel. She asked who would be interested and I raised my hand. A year later, traveled to and within Egypt for thirty days. It would have been 15 days in Israel and 15 days in Egypt. However, the university wouldn't approve going to Israel because of safety reasons.

Another year later, in 1997, graduated with a BAAS degree.Bachelors of Applied Arts & Science.

Mariann: What’s your main goal in writing on Vocal?

Babs: My main goal is to have fun!

While growing, expanding, and improving my writing is secondary, the one runner-up win for the runaway train challenge last year was absolutely unbelievable., amazing, and awesome all rolled into one.

It would be fabulous to place 1st or 2nd in a challenge. I constantly remind myself that "If I am not winning, I am learning."

Fun facts: List of Babs Iverson’s 22 Top Stories :

LITTLE RED.

Kate & Leopold

BABS BLABS

LOST WITHOUT YOU

LOVE, LOVE SONG

36 wheels & Counting

TEENS TARGETED

Friendship

WALTZING

THE TWIST

Teen FRIENDSHIP

ITCHING

CHARISMA

Up in the Air

TAXING

TRENDING

TOPSY-TURVY

My Very First Limerick

REFLECTING

DEVIL'S CIGAR

COLOR ME

OZ

Fun Facts : Babs Have lived in the Washington DC area, Hawaii, Florida, Mississippi, Alaska, She is happy with her home location in North Texas.

Mariann: What does your writing space look like?

Babs: Which one? I have several. In our living room library, a primary go to spot and space is my comfy chair. Have a desk in the bedroom. I have used my grandson's computer in our guest bedroom, and last but not least, worked on stories at the kitchen counter.

Mariann: What is your life schedule and how do you fit your writing in it?

Babs: This year, for approximately three months that I had a fungal infection with body itching, I wasn't able to focus on reading or writing.

While others publish a myriad of stories, poems, and articles, I take the slow and steady route. Understandably, I am not a prolific writer. When it comes to numbers, have 257 stories published and as of this morning 30 reads short of 10k.

Confessing that house work has been ignored, as it's not going anywhere, I write when inspiration strikes.

Before retiring, my lifestyle was crazy, hectic. It was definitely stressful.

Managing my own schedule, helping my children & grandchildren, and doing what brings me joy. It's not complete leisure but it's a balanced lifestyle!

Mariann: Do you used discord for Vocal?

Babs: Well! Have been on discord. It took me awhile to access. To be honest, I don't use discord as much as the newer Vocal members do. That's my personal opinion!

It reminds me of Twitter (X) and I haven't been on that platform in over a year.

Mariann: If you were a book what title would you give yourself ?

Fun fact: The Cover Photo, the picture of Babs in the Japanese Garden at the Ft Worth Botanical Garden. Photo credit to Mr. L. W. Echols.It was taken approximately 20 years ago. It's a picture on her book that a friend purchased for her from a life untold.

Babs joined Vocal in 2021, and his Christmas gift that year was the book. It took her eight months to fill in the blanks and received a copy of her book towards the end of September last year.

“Life untold”, is the name of company and she asked me cropped it off from the picture.

Babs: My book title is TENACIOUS!

Mariann: If you can Change the World what would you change?

Babs: If I could wave my magical wand. I would change political behavior. By eliminating greed, selfishness, dishonesty, and tyrants in the world, we need a life balance.

FunFacts: Babs’ quote “Life is balance.”

Fun fact: Congratulations Babs on you 10,000 read milestones on Vocal 💕🥳🎉🎊🌈

It was a pleasure to get to know more about Babs Iverson, maybe next year we will have a part 2 Interview? Thank you for allowing us to see a little glimps of your world.💓You are Fabulous person ♥️👍