Phyllis DeMarco, Freelance Writer

Phyllis DeMarco's Blog

WELCOME to my blog!

I’m so excited! I waited a long time to do this and now that I'm retired, I can finally concentrate on my writing, and I think blogging is going to suit me very well.

I have often been referred to as “Dr. Phyl” for both psychological advice and, how scary is this, medical advice. So right here, right now, I state my disclaimer that I do not profess to be a professional doctor and/or therapist in any sense of the words and/or professions, and anything I write here should not be interpreted as me telling or advising anyone about anything in any way. Whew!

Now that we got that out of the way, please enjoy reading my blogs regardless of the emotions they may evoke and please participate so I know we connect. Since I’m a major overthinker, hang on for the ride. A former therapist once validated my special crazy by rhetorically stating, “It isn’t easy being you, is it?” It never has been.

ABOUT ME

My very first essay was published in The Staten Island Advance in a column called “The Women’s Forum.” The essay was very cathartic for me as it allowed me to express my shock and sorrow for a young bank teller who had suddenly passed away. A few days after the essay had been published, the family of the young woman reached out to me and expressed their deep gratitude for the tribute to their wife and mother, and it was at that moment that I knew what I wanted to achieve in my life.

I have written essays about parenting, marriage, jury duty, work, etc., and received mail from readers who thought they were alone in their feelings, whether negative or positive, and were grateful to learn they weren’t. Sometimes my essays were humorous, but often they were an outlet for me to release my personal frustrations, mixed at times with sadness and regret, but all with the end goal of achieving a form of therapy for me and, hopefully, anyone kind enough to read them.

That being said, not all my writing stemmed from an altruistic source. I tried my hand at many genres of writing which you will see in my writing bio. But the point is, it’s a great feeling knowing you have made someone feel better about themselves and I have been this person my whole life, both in my writing and most of my relationships.

As well as blogging, I will on occasion post a new or past writing which I hope you will find entertaining and/or moving. I'm also considering doing some writing exercises for those who need a bit more motivation (including myself at times), with the option of sharing our work and receiving some gentle critique by the readers willing to participate.

Just so you know, the career that paid my bills was as a secretary, basically  in every shape and form - legal secretary, administrative assistant, school secretary, and executive assistant to the city manager. I've been fortunate in that I was always treated with the utmost respect and involved in way more than my job title would suggest. My opinions were sought out and part of  my job was to make everyone feel good about their decisions or provide positive suggestions to enhance their positions. I was excellent in these roles, but I always felt I never lived up to my own potential. It was always my dream to be a psychologist until I discovered writing.

Writing changed my life.

To date, my published credits include a story in Chicken Soup for the Expectant Mother’s Soul, which was also used by a calendar company (Year in a Box) and appeared on the Chicken Soup Website as a featured story. I have had several stories published in The Star, True Love, True Story, and Romantic Interludes. I have had many articles published in a column for women in the Staten Island Advance, as well as commentary pieces. I won third-place in a New York Times - Columbia Pictures 100-word fiction contest based on an unrequited love for a promotion of the movie Age of Innocence and first-place in a writing contest for Housewife-Writer’s Forum. Staten Island Parent has published both an article and a poem I have written, and I have had two of my short stories recited by the Staten Island Shakespearean Theater Company at Snug Harbor Cultural Center in Staten Island. I’ve been published in Turtle Magazine for Preschool Kids and online at WeeOnesMag.com. I have also written several articles for a magazine entitled Newborn News, and Writer’s Journal has published two of my poems. Boys Quest published a poem in their baseball issue and that poem was used for statewide educational testing, as well. I won first-place in a Redwritinghood.com flash fiction contest and I am featured in their anthology. I also wrote medical scripts, which appeared daily on CBS news for John Biffar in Southwest Florida. One of my fiction stories was selected to be performed by the Gulfshore Playhouse at the Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers, Florida, and I was a finalist for the 2019 Brooklyn Film true essay contest and had my essay read by Brooklyn Film at a public forum. I’ve also had a few 10-word stories published online in Potato Soup Journal, a 101-word story published online in 101 Words, Op-Eds in the News-Press, and ranked in the top 10 in a fiction competition for Florida Weekly, where I was featured and published.

WRITING BIO

Privacy Policy

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We have adopted this Privacy Policy, which determines how we are processing the information collected by Phyllisdemarco.com, which also provides the reasons why we must collect certain personal data about you. Therefore, you must read this Privacy Policy before using Phyllisdemarco.com.

We take care of your personal data and undertake to guarantee its confidentiality and security.

Personal information we collect:

When you visit Phyllisdemarco.com, we automatically collect certain information about your device, including information about your web browser, IP address, time zone, and some of the installed cookies on your device. Additionally, as you browse the Site, we collect information about the individual web pages or products you view, what websites or search terms referred you to the Site, and how you interact with the Site. We refer to this automatically-collected information as “Device Information.” Moreover, we might collect the personal data you provide to us (including but not limited to Name, Surname, Address, payment information, etc.) during registration to be able to fulfill the agreement.

Why do we process your data?

Our top priority is customer data security, and, as such, we may process only minimal user data, only as much as it is absolutely necessary to maintain the website. Information collected automatically is used only to identify potential cases of abuse and establish statistical information regarding website usage. This statistical information is not otherwise aggregated in such a way that it would identify any particular user of the system.

You can visit the website without telling us who you are or revealing any information, by which someone could identify you as a specific, identifiable individual. If, however, you wish to use some of the website’s features, or you wish to receive our Newsletter or Blog, or provide other details by filling out a form, you may provide personal data to us, such as your email, first name, last name, city of residence, organization, telephone number. You can choose not to provide us with your personal data, but then you may not be able to take advantage of some of the website’s features. For example, you won’t be able to receive our Newsletter or Blog, or contact us directly from the website. Users who are uncertain about what information is mandatory are welcome to contact us via Phyl@phyllisdemarco.com.

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If you are a European resident, you have the following rights related to your personal data:

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If you would like to exercise this right, please contact us through the contact information below.

Additionally, if you are a European resident, we note that we are processing your information in order to fulfill contracts we might have with you (for example, if you make an order through the Site), or otherwise to pursue our legitimate business interests listed above. Additionally, please note that your information might be transferred outside of Europe, including Canada and the United States.

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Our website may contain links to other websites that are not owned or controlled by us. Please be aware that we are not responsible for such other websites or third parties' privacy practices. We encourage you to be aware when you leave our website and read the privacy statements of each website that may collect personal information.

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We secure information you provide on computer servers in a controlled, secure environment, protected from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. We keep reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect against unauthorized access, use, modification, and personal data disclosure in its control and custody. However, no data transmission over the Internet or wireless network can be guaranteed.

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We will disclose any information we collect, use or receive if required or permitted by law, such as to comply with a subpoena or similar legal process, and when we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, protect your safety or the safety of others, investigate fraud, or respond to a government request.

Changes to This Privacy Policy:

Phyllisdemarco.com may update this privacy policy at any time. Notice about such changes will be posted on Phyllisdemarco.com. You acknowledge and agree that it is your responsibility to review this Privacy Policy periodically and become aware of modifications.

Contact information:

If you would like to contact us to understand more about this Policy or wish to contact us concerning any matter relating to individual rights and your Personal Information, you may send an email to Phyl@phyllisdemarco.com.

8-5-2023