“Creativity takes courage.”
~ Henri Matisse ?
Oh, yes it does, my friend. LOTS of it. Day after day. After. Day. From the start of my career in the Writing + Book Biz over 25 years ago, I said that stringing words together to entertain/educate others was not for the faint of heart. And heck, my experience since then has only reinforced that knowing.
But there are things we can do to fortify our trembling, beautiful hearts.
I don’t know about you, but I am far more courageous when I’ve got support. Tribal love. Brainstorming buddies. Friendly feedback. Just knowing that I’m not alone in my PJs at 3:00 pm, bleary-eyed and talking to myself. Which is why the tagline for my writing community, The Beautiful Writers Group, is “Friends Don’t Let Friends Write Alone.”
Speaking of your friends, specifically, that one writer friend: You know… that someone who aches to finish his/her book and get it into bookstores where it can finally live and breathe and touch souls everywhere. That deserving person (maybe it’s you!) has a story DESTINED to do its magic. But she’s bone tired carrying this heavy book baby all by herself. As you watch her struggle to find the time and energy, you pray she’ll catch a break or break through whatever real or imagined blocks stand between where she is and where she longs to be.
The Beautiful Writers group is where we gather. For inspiration, motivation, gut check-ins. It’s where expert interviews keep us in the know and on our path. Our private Facebook community makes daily interaction a speedy godsend. (I’m sort of addicted.) It’s where we come for humor. To share tears. And give hearty thank yous and shout out HELP requests. People post the latest news in publishing trends; signings we need to know about, and tech tips that save us all time and sanity. Self-Help posts appear, as do poems, novel ideas, query letters, and titles for testing.
Our monthly Q&A calls answer pressing questions, and our weekly newsletter summarizes all the fun goings on in case Facebook is not your friend (or you haven’t had a second to hop in and just want the quickie deets).
It’s all here and more. Especially the friendship. The kinship. The writership. The courage.
Tell your partner that this is on your wish list. Or, be the coolest Secret Santa ever by giving this ultimate of writing treasures. Think of it, there’s no better way to say: “I BELIEVE IN YOU! I BELIVE IN WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY!”
Light up the holidays with the gift of a year of membership. (Plus, a free month!) Writing takes courage, yes. But we’re here. Sharing the writerly love. Day after day. After. Day.
Happiest of Holidays!
Linda
xx
“All you need is the plan, the road map, and the courage to press on to your destination.”
~Earl Nightingale
