Margaret Taylor Schlaudecker has a burning desire. She’s passionate about writing, and she’s written a novel which she is determined will be published. It’s a romantic thriller, set in New Orleans and Gulf Shores, entitled “The Other Side of the Streetcar Tracks”. Margaret says she has learned the value of patience and the ability to take criticism through the process. “I have an Excel spreadsheet full of rejections. The worst are the ‘Thanks, but no thanks’ ones, the better ones sent along constructive criticism”, she says. 

But the struggle to publish has not dimmed her creative spirit, and she likes to pass it on to encourage others. “I always say,’if you have a creative idea – a painting, a poem, a story, a dance – get it out there, don’t give up. Learn to take criticism but don’t let it stop you.’” It’s that winning attitude that led her to pen the first place winner in this year’s Books Along the Teche Literary Festival fiction writing competition, over dozens of other entries.

Like many writers, Margaret is a skilled observer. She’s always watching people, making notes of interesting characters and finding inspiration everywhere. In fact, her puppy, Chicory, has a co-starring role in her winning story. The spark for that story, “No Drawl, Y’all” was ignited by a social media post by one of her Facebook friends, who suggested that ‘there should be a Hallmark movie, set in New Orleans at Mardi Gras.’ This, the contest theme “Southern Drawl,” plus the fact that Hollywood can’t seem to get New Orleans accents right in any production, set her creative juices flowing and produced the winning entry published here.  

Schlaudecker, who currently works as community liaison at Garden View Assisted Living in Baton Rouge, has written for many media, and her passion is alive and well. Her blog, “Diary of a Not-Perfect Parent” chronicled her life as a wife and working mother. Another of her short stories, “They Didn’t Have a Chance”, was voted Readers’ Choice after being published in Country Roads magazine back in 2010. She won accolades from the Louisiana Secretary of State and was invited to be a panelist at the 2011 Louisiana Book Festival because of that honor. 

And there’s still that novel: criticized, tweaked, reworked, edited and re-edited. She WILL see it published, and she will continue watching people, finding inspiration and throwing off creative sparks. No drawl, y’all. ■