When I first started writing in the early 2000’s, I discovered the Harlequin Publishing message boards. On there I learned so much about how to format and write, but more importantly, I met a whole community of people who thought like I do. I discovered the world of writing conferences where I met people who have become life long friends.
Last night I was on the phone with a fellow author who has become one of my best friends. We met because we were sitting next to each other at a Romantic Times Conference book signing and since we were newbie e-book writers, we were WAAAAYYYY in the back and didn’t see much traffic. We started talking then and haven’t stopped since.
I cannot emphasize enough how important my writing friends are to my sanity. In so many ways, writing is a solitary endeavor. Having a person who totally gets it when you say things like, “So if you’re in another galaxy, do you still have to use condoms? Like wouldn’t they have come up with something better if they could master space travel?” is absolutely the most amazing gift anyone can have. Also, having someone read your work and give their honest opinions without worrying about offending you is necessary to grow. I may not always like what the feedback is, but I know they’re giving it to me not to drag me down, but because they believe in my story and my writing and want it to be the best it can be.
I would have given up writing if it wasn’t for my friends who believed in me, even when I hadn’t written anything for over five years.
If you have one of these writing friends, send them a thank you today…and maybe some chocolate.
Have a great weekend!