Today a writer friend of mine commented on this blog. We haven't been in touch lately, we live quite a distance away, we're both busy with our lives and we've lost daily, weekly and even monthly touch. I guess life happens. But writer friends are so important for us.
We have coffee with them. We travel to conferences with them. We spend practically a whole day with them at a Chapter meeting. They're the only people who really get us. They understand our excitement over a new project, they understand when that excitement turns into dread as the project takes shape with a saggy middle, they understand our frustration when we get back crits, they understand the heartache when we get rejections, they understand the voices we hear and most importantly they understand that all of this is normal.
Good writer friends are not a dime a dozen, they are rare and should be treated like the treasures they are. There might be a little pettiness, a little jealousy, a little disagreement of what the opening scene should be. But that stuff is unimportant and needs to disappear as quickly as it came.
I've learned over the years there are only a handful of friends I can trust with my story ideas, with my dreams and with my heart. If you've lost touch with a writer friend now would be a good time to send an email, post on her blog or give her a call.
I agree that good writer friends are essential to maintaining any semblance of sanity in the confusing world of a writer. when I decided to pursue my dream of writing stories,i was soooo naive. I thought you sat down at the typewriter and wrote the story in your head. WRONG! Four years later I am revising my second novel and manipulating four on line workshops on the different aspects of writing. Am I a good writer. No. However,I am getting better at a craft and profession I love. I can't not write. I joined RWA,FTHRW,KOD,FFP and several other writers groups. All have been incredibly supportive and none has ever been unkind. A virtual kick in the butt when I have needed one or words of encouragement,sympathy,etc.have all been forthcoming. Writers need all of the above because we have picked a profession or rather it has picked us, and it is a profoundly difficult one. No one can really help you write your story. It is just you and your chosen medium,be it pen,pencil,crayons,typewriter or computer. A writer is alone when creating their tale except for their muse and cast of clamoring characters. And asks for company when their child is rejected,time after time. I suppose we could be called masochists and fools in a way. Ahhh,but are we not all fools in love? And to write is to fall in love with characters and the tales we weave?P.Owldreamer
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting today. Everything you said is right on and only other writers can truly understand. I'll be seeing you on the loop!
Debra