There’s a culture where women have been encouraged to compete their entire lives and not always in a positive manner. Who’s the thinnest, prettiest, smartest, best athlete, best artist, and yes, best writer? I’m not saying all have been conditioned this way, but I’m betting each and every one of us has thought or dealt with it.
It isn’t easy bringing three authors on board to write a book we all agreed upon. We each brought to the table our personal writing techniques, our beliefs regarding the path we wanted our book to take, and most importantly, our clearly different personalities. Don’t get me wrong, we did have some irritable or tense moments, but they were rare and short as we learned how to listen to different ideas and compromise. We learned to carry each other during the times we just wanted to give up. Telling Tales and Sharing Secrets became the outcome of our support, caring, and deep respect for each other.
I am thrilled we have finally completed our goal to write this book; a goal we’d had for years. Perhaps the best part of this whole journey is how our friendship and commitment to each other and to writing has deepened even more.
Thank you, Jackie. I know that is heartfelt. Our writers’ group has indeed weathered many storms from sick husbands and kids to differences in personal world views. I feel very blessed that our friendship is intact. We take the time to listen, reflect, and respond to each other in our writing. May it continue for many years to come. I hope other writers can find the same support in a writers’ group.
Becoming part of a writers group gave me a sense of belonging with others who shared the same interest. I had no idea where this would take me, what this would teach me, and the rewards during, now, and later to come. The ‘sticking to it’, and willingness to step back and listen to others in their writing. Got to thank these gals.