COMMUNITY

Community is Important

Did you change your clocks last night?.  I saw a reminder on FaceBook – Don’t forget to turn your clocks back.  I’m turning mine back to when I was 20.   As my mother would say, “if wishes were horses, beggars would ride.”

Yesterday, Pam and I had a planned Jamie Tremain day.  A chance to get caught up on non-writing areas of our lives and then down to where we’re at with our latest project. Which is well under-way by the way!  So we spent the morning, and a pot of coffee, getting back on track.  More than a handful of chocolate covered almonds disappeared as well.  Even though I have times when its hard to muster up enthusiasm for any writing, I always feel re-energized after time we can spend together face to face; plotting, discovering, what if? etc.

And yesterday also provided us with an opportunity to hook up with Gloria Ferris and Donna Warner for lunch.  We enjoyed a delicious meal at CusinaMediterranean Bistro here in Guelph.  If you like Greek food and a quiet atmosphere, I recommend you pay a visit.  

Gloria is an established Canadian author – Cheat the Hangman was the winner of the 2012 Bony Blithe Award, and her next book, Corpse Flower (winner of the 2010 Unhanged Arthur) is soon to be released.  I thoroughly enjoyed Cheat the Hangman and am looking forward to reading Corpse Flower.  Donna is a freelance editor and mystery writer.  She and Gloria are currently co-authoring a mystery that takes place in the exotic setting of Roatan, Honduras.   So, for Pam and I, their advice and insight into the world of publishing was invaluable.   We had a most enjoyable afternoon with them, great conversations and sense of camaraderie, underscoring the essence of this amazing writing community which Pam and I are part of.

The afternoon helped provide a much needed boost for  yours truly.  That while sometimes writing can be frustrating and discouraging, it should still be fun.  After all I already work eight hours a day, I really don’t want to feel I’m coming home at day’s end to work at a second, and so far unpaid, job.  So I need to try and re-focus on the fun part.

Pam and I are fortunate to be writing together, I find it hard to imagine how solitary it might feel to be doing this alone.  How about you?  Are you a struggling writer trying to find your niche?  Trying to find the right agent or publisher for your work?   Don’t give up – you’re certainly not alone.

You’re part of an amazingly supportive community.  We’ve found that established authors are more than willing to share their insights, and are keen to help us avoid mistakes they’ve made.  Learn from them!

Community is not just about where you live – it’s also about the people who ARE the community.

Stay tuned for Pam’s next interview with author C.B. Forrest later this month.

Cheers!

Liz