Here’s the bottom line to today’s post.

I want to give it to you upfront because I think this is so, so, so important.

Here it is:

Spend time with people at a big gathering who are pursuing the same hobbies you are.

Or who have the same passions.

Or who have the same issues.

I can guarantee you’re going to come away feeling validated, seen, heard, and inspired…AND your eyes will be opened to the fact that while you thought you were all alone with your thoughts/feelings/wishes/dreams/desires, you’re not!

Backstory:

I’ve been writing for years.

By myself.

At my computer (or, even longer ago, on a typewriter).

Writing is a solitary activity.

Writers scribble in journals.

We clatter away on keyboards.

Then close the notebook, shut the computer.

Then what?

If we want to share what we’ve written with the world, we can’t stop there.

We have to force ourselves to unclench our fists and push our work away and into the world.

That world is pretty small at first; maybe just our family.

But bit by bit it grows.

We get feedback on our projects—and we call them projects or WIPS (works in progress) instead of “my little stories”—and rewrite them and polish them and send them out into the world again.

Maybe now that world encompasses a small group of critics or writing partners that we trust.

We rewrite and polish again.

Now we can send our WIPS to agents or publishers.

We can also submit our work at conferences and workshops.

Which circles me back to my first paragraph: Spend time with people who are pursuing your hobby, people who are doing well at what you want to be doing well.

Get their feedback, listen to their lectures and advice, listen to their editorial comments, and also listen to the other people JUST LIKE YOU who are holding their “little stories” in their hands and offering them up like a sacrifice.

But, amazingly, it’s not a sacrifice.

It’s a healing!

You learn what you’ve done well.

You learn where you can improve.

People want to help you!

It’s an amazing thing to watch and be part of.

I experienced all this last week at my first writers’ workshop called Better Books Marin.

There were 25 writers and four group leaders.

The group leaders were two editors, a literary agent, and a successful published middle grade author.

I learned so much.

I even spoke out and asked questions.

I don’t like doing that, but it occurred to me that since no one was asking the questions I had, I needed to be responsible and ask or waste this incredible opportunity in front of me.

Did I feel like an imposter?

Yes.

Did I do it anyway?

Yes!

Do I feel less like an imposter now and maybe like someone who has something to say?

I do.

Would I do it again?

Of course.

I’ll admit, the first day I was overwhelmed by the talk, the people who were better writers than me, the people with photographic memories of books they’ve read.

But by the next day, I pulled up my big girl panties and got on with it. (I never did feel comfortable with the just-like-high-school cafeteria set up—though everyone was very welcoming. But that’s a separate issue.)

Okay.

Let me hop back on my soapbox.

If there is something you’ve always been interested in doing or doing better, find a group, sign up, and go be with your people.

~ Gail

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