That's What Friends Are For

Again, it was not my intent to go so long between posts. As a matter of fact, I opened this draft somewhere towards the end of January. Then suddenly, the flood gates opened, and everyone needed something edited at once! February was a constant barrage of work, and there were a couple of weeks in there that felt like it was last summer again in terms of the amount of sleep I was not getting. (Note to self: when it comes to oatmeal for breakfast, cinnamon and chili powder are not interchangeable...) But I'm not complaining. It's going well, and suddenly, it seems that sixty percent or more of my work has come from clients contacting me and not the other way around. I don't know, that just feels like something I should be kinda proud of...

But I realized that, as far as the original purpose for this blog, which was to write about my efforts to write, I've gotten a little bit off track. So,  I'm happy to announce that, over the course of the last month,  I'm back in business with my big WIP (that stands for work-in-progress, in case you were wondering <g>).

Hence, my reason for today's post title. I'd always assumed that being a writer was kind of a solitary proposition. After all, unless you are actively collaborating on a project, writing is really a one-man job, right? There's no office downtown where all the writers have to go every morning to clock in. There's no walking across the street together for lunch every day, and there's no heading out for a drink after work to vent about frustrations on the job.

I'm rather embarrassed to admit it had never occurred to me that there could be such a thing as a global writers' community. I think I had always known about writers' conventions, and I certainly knew about the awards that are given out for every year's best shining examples of literary genius. But it never occurred to me that the writing community was as busy and connected and vibrant as I have found it to be, since I've waded into it and gotten my toes wet. (Right now, writers everywhere would be staring at me in open-mouthed incredulity, and I can just hear their collective, "Duh!!" uttered in that sarcastic tone that only excellent writers can assume. I assure them, I am thoroughly ashamed of this lack of common sense, and I can only plead to being blonde.)

So, a few months ago, I decided that if I wanted to be a writer, I needed to go where the writers are. I joined the Books and Writer's Community Forum on Compuserve. Now, I'm not a big online "talker," and I've never in my life developed a virtual friendship. So, I did what I usually do on forums, and I lurked around on the BWCF for a few weeks, trying to get a feel for things. At the end of January, I finally got brave and introduced myself.

What do you know? People are NICE!! And supportive, and encouraging, and willing to offer extremely helpful suggestions on your writing. Some of them are real, honest-to-goodness published authors, and some of them, like me, are hopeful. I have found a wide range of age groups, countries, and general walks of life represented. I've read posted snippets from many genres, and I can say that, across the board, these people are oozing with talent, and they all share a love for a good story. It's a little intimidating and extremely humbling to jump into the midst of them, but they have all been so gracious in making me feel welcome.

What I was most excited about was the idea of having a sounding board for my WIP (which is still lacking a title), and the Writer's Exercises board provides an excellent opportunity for that. Every month, a different "assignment" is announced, so when you post your assignment, everyone reads it and then offers kudos and constructive criticisms. It's like a fun creative writing practicum. I did the February exercise for the first time, and loved it. The best part was that I wrote a new scene in my novel for the first time in two years!! Wow, I may get this book done yet!

I received some wonderful and extremely helpful comments, but they really made me feel like I just might have something interesting, that other people might want to read. And that's been my biggest fear—that the story I want to tell is not one that anyone wants to hear. But now, I can't wait to get March's assignment done, and read what everyone else has been writing. These people are awesome!! <g>


On a side note, since I've been doing all this editing, my list of grammar peeves is starting to grow. I don't know how in the world some people are getting through school...<ahem> So, I thought I'd start a new feature cleverly entitled, "Jane's Writing Tip of the Day, " and it shall be directed towards/addressed to—in particular—my potential future clients, but also to everyone else who may need a little refresher (you know who you are).

Jane's Writing Tip of the Day #1:  The end of a sentence requires either a period, a question mark, or an exclamation point. There are no exceptions.  

...Trust me—many, many, many people need to be reminded of this...




Today's 80s Flashback: "That's What Friends Are For" -Dionne Warwick & Friends
I just watched this for the first time in years...Lord, have mercy... please pass the cheese... :)


# of Proofreads: 19
# of Edits: 34