writing community
Sisters in ink
02/08/09 10:44
I went to a slumber party this weekend, for the first
time since sixth grade. My writing group has been
together five years (count ‘em--five!), so we
celebrated with a major session of goofing around,
followed by a tiny bit of sleep, followed by a
writing retreat.
I can’t say enough about these women. They taught me what to do, they showed me my mistakes, they cried with me at my rejections, they celebrated with me at my successes, and they took me seriously. Each of us does these things for all of us. There is no jealousy--one member’s success is everyone’s success. And we’ve had a few successes--three agents acquired (one lost in there), one sold book, one Pushcart-nominated nonfiction piece, myriad drafts of book projects and stories (some of them final drafts), smaller publications in large and small venues, the list goes on. We give each other courage and strength to keep going. We love each other and push each other.
Every writer needs a writing group. I am convinced of it.
So here’s to you, sisters in ink. Thank you a million times over.
I can’t say enough about these women. They taught me what to do, they showed me my mistakes, they cried with me at my rejections, they celebrated with me at my successes, and they took me seriously. Each of us does these things for all of us. There is no jealousy--one member’s success is everyone’s success. And we’ve had a few successes--three agents acquired (one lost in there), one sold book, one Pushcart-nominated nonfiction piece, myriad drafts of book projects and stories (some of them final drafts), smaller publications in large and small venues, the list goes on. We give each other courage and strength to keep going. We love each other and push each other.
Every writer needs a writing group. I am convinced of it.
So here’s to you, sisters in ink. Thank you a million times over.
|
The kindness of strangers
11/17/08 21:58
I’m on
the agent hunt now, and three people---shout-outs and
many thanks to Kurtis
Scaletta,
Amy Sarig
King,
and Heather
Brewer---within
the children’s writing community very kindly and
graciously helped me with my search by chatting
about their agents. Do I know any of these three
people? Not at all.
Big whoop, right? People help each other all the time. Actually, it IS a big deal, if you’re a fiction writer for adults. From what I know, it’s unheard of to help a fellow grown-up fiction writer. That community’s pretty cutthroat--not enough shelf space for everyone--so if you help someone else, you help your competition, and woe betide you! (that’s such a dorky expression, but I love it)
Like there’s enough shelf space for all the kids’ writers? Not. But in the children’s lit community, however, helping each other seems to be the norm. I am grateful for that fact, not just because these two people gave me some great leads, but because it means the community is a nicer place to be. I’m not good at cutthroat competition.
I do think part of the reason why the kid lit community is kind to one another has to do with our audience--most children’s books, even the dark YAs, have some sort of redemption and hope in them. If we’re writing hope and kindness, you’d think we’d be practicing it. So far, nobody’s proved me wrong.
Kindness is a Good Thing. Call me cheesy and old-fashioned. I don’t care.
Big whoop, right? People help each other all the time. Actually, it IS a big deal, if you’re a fiction writer for adults. From what I know, it’s unheard of to help a fellow grown-up fiction writer. That community’s pretty cutthroat--not enough shelf space for everyone--so if you help someone else, you help your competition, and woe betide you! (that’s such a dorky expression, but I love it)
Like there’s enough shelf space for all the kids’ writers? Not. But in the children’s lit community, however, helping each other seems to be the norm. I am grateful for that fact, not just because these two people gave me some great leads, but because it means the community is a nicer place to be. I’m not good at cutthroat competition.
I do think part of the reason why the kid lit community is kind to one another has to do with our audience--most children’s books, even the dark YAs, have some sort of redemption and hope in them. If we’re writing hope and kindness, you’d think we’d be practicing it. So far, nobody’s proved me wrong.
Kindness is a Good Thing. Call me cheesy and old-fashioned. I don’t care.